Shades of Red
by LadyCeruleanBlue
Summary: I never meant to disguise myself as a boy and hide on General Iroh's ship bound for Republic City. Joining the military under a false name (and/or gender) is one thing—being the great-grandaughter of the man who practically gave Fire Lord Zuko his infamous scar is a whole 'nother can of beetle-worms!
1. Gold Tea Set

**Hello, faithful followers (and new recruits,) I'm pleased to announce a new story that has been bouncing around in my head for days. This story is set before season one of Legend of Korra. I tried to follow Fire Nation culture as closely as possible in this piece. As we don't get a close look in the series of the FN in LOK, I'm taking a few c****reative liberties. You'll recognize names, locations, and ideas. I hope you enjoy!**

**Enjoy,**

**LCB**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Gold Tea Set<strong>

A lot could change in seventy years. Mostly, it was the size of a certain military. Feelings were still being mended, pride was being pushed back into the minds of millions, and worlds were being put back together. A new Avatar was finishing her training and relocating to the United Republic to master Airbending, even. Quite a bit of change in anyone's opinion.

Unfortunately, the Fire Nation really hadn't changed all that much. There was still a hierarchy of military and nobility. Those who were once allied with Fire Lord Ozai were considered traitorous, while those who were descendants of traitors were watched fiercely. I was one of those people.

My family was practically exiled after the One Hundred Year War. Traitors to our people, we lived on the outskirts of the Fire Nation. According to hierarchy, those who lived further away from the capital were worth less than those living therein. We were scum, poor, who were punished for being close to the then-ruler of the Fire Nation.

Not that I really knew what life had been like before. I'd been born in Jang Hui, one of the farthest outlying villages in the Fire Nation. We were based over water, our pathways being mostly made of wood and stone. Things had apparently been better after the old factory had closed down, but it was still a small trading center. Most people were poor and didn't have much money. We had some, but not enough to support the old lifestyle that I'd never had.

Great-Grandfather knew what the old life was like and he cursed Fire Lord Zuko and his children for taking that lifestyle everyday. He used to be one of Ozai's right-hand men...he'd been the one to send Fire Lord Zuko to the Agni Kai against his father, which gave him his famous scar. He would tell us the stories of the 'impetuous, young, fool-hearted' youth and never in gentle terms. He needed to be careful, though, as his words were treasonous and any surrounding military police would be sure to teach him a lesson for his old-fashioned hatred.

Father had just gotten back from his tower watchmen duties. While our family would never be allowed to join the military in any fashion, he was a Firebender, which was rare in Jang Hui. He'd been given an experimental turn at defending the village...which, considering there wasn't a war going on, meant that he hadn't had to do anything other than gain weight and sit in the watchtower, the highest point in the entire village.

"How was work?" I asked with a smile, taking his coat off of his back and hanging it up in the small doorway that led into our living room.

"Boring," he replied with a weary sigh. Guard shifts usually lasted twelve hours or so, depending on the change of the guard and how many Firebenders were healthy. Dad had been pulling sixteen-hour shifts for the past two weeks. "Maro's still out with a broken leg and Jama is on pregnancy leave. Not many of us left, little one." He ruffled my hair as he walked by.

I blew the stray hairs out of my eyes and followed him into the kitchen, which was about as small as our entryway. He sat down at the crude-but-effective bamboo table and took off his hat, laying it in its ceremonial spot in the middle of the table. I insisted to him, "I'm not little anymore, Papa."

"That's right," he said with a laugh. "Not little. But big, adult women don't like to go and listen to the pro-bending match on the town radio, do they?"

I slapped him on the arm with a towel. He knew how much I loved to listen to pro-bending! While the town radio was only supposed to be used for emergency Fire Nation reports, once a week it was turned over for entertainment. No one could afford their own personal radio and electricity? Out of the question. "Yes, we do! When can we leave?"

My excitement was quickly doused.

"You are an insolent, carefree _child_," came a raspy voice from the corner where the teapot was boiling. A hunched figure in faded Fire Nation robes was standing there, eyeing me with tan eyes that I'd inherited. The robes were worshiped and washed with the utmost care but obviously still dozens of years old. The man's face was creased like a map—so many lines and hills that he looked ancient and angry almost all the time. "You are immature and take no responsibility."

He had two thin strips of mustache that fell down to the length of his long white goatee. A thinning white topknot sat above his pale head. His cruel tan eyes peered out at me.

"Yes, Great-Grandfather Bujing," I sighed, bowing my head down. It was useless to argue with the old war general...nothing was ever accomplished by doing so. "Whatever you say."

"Don't be sarcastic with me, Huo," he growled, waving a wooden spoon at me like a sword. Not that the old man could wield one anymore. _How old is he, anyway?_ He had to have been over one-hundred years old! _He was old when Fire Lord Zuko was young..._ His son, my grandfather, had died before I'd been born—but this cranky bastard was still kicking. "I am your elder and you will respect me!"

I got this speech every day that I stayed at home. I usually tried to avoid the old man by doing chores, tending the garden, or practicing Firebending, but he was my father's grandfather and he lived in the same hut that I did. Avoiding him was like avoiding the stove. "Understood."

Great-Grandfather shuffled over with the tea, as slow as a slug in his old age. "Set the table, girl. Be useful for once in your life."

I held my tongue, which wanted to lash out, and went to get the ceremonial tea set that Grandfather had brought back from the Capital. It was so regal and important; it was strange to see it in our rural kitchen. It was made out of what appeared to be pure gold, if I knew anything. I didn't, but I could imagine that I knew what pure gold was. It made me wonder...what had life been like when the Bujing family was _rich_?

I didn't regret my upbringing, but sometimes...I wondered what it would be like to own rich fabrics like Grandfather obviously used to wear. What would it be like to wear makeup like the women in the books that I'd read. Like the others in poverty, even in a trading town like ours, I wondered how things could have been different. I didn't go hungry most nights and I had warmth. I should have been thankful. It was more than most families in our town had.

Setting the table in the traditional way I'd learned, I waited until both my father and my Grandfather had taken their first sip before I served myself and sat down. I wasn't willing to endure the wrath of General Bujing Gao for messing up his evening tea with my insolence.

"Hmph," he grumbled, "that was almost perfect. You may make some pitiful trader a decent wife someday."

There was that word again—_wife_. He'd been using it a lot recently. He kept telling me that he was training me to be like my great-grandmother, like my grandmother...training me to be an obedient, noble _housewife_. I gripped my cup tighter and gritted my teeth. "What if I don't want to be a wife?"

He laughed into his teacup, his gnarled hands grasping weakly. "What else would you be? Women belong by a man's side, bearing boys and keeping the house."

"Grandfather," my father said, "enough. You know that women have more opportunities nowadays." His kind brown eyes were serious under his salt-and-pepper hair. I didn't see much resemblance between us. "Besides, there is no one worthy of my daughter in this pisshole."

_So, Father has been thinking along the same lines._ I kind of understood, in a way—I _was_ going on nineteen years old. But, between training sessions, taking care of the house and the animals, and working the shop, I didn't have time to look for a man, let alone get married!

"What do you want to do, Huo?" he asked simply, staring at me with those deep brown eyes. He didn't look too much like his grandfather—more sincere, more fatherly.

I sipped on my tea and thought about it. I'd imagined myself a million places—at the Capitol, in the Fire Nation Navy, or even going to Republic City and joining the United Forces. And there was only one way I would be able to do all of those things. "I want to join the military."

My great-grandfather practically spit his tea all over the table. He started coughing, that is, until he started laughing. Blush covered my face and I looked down onto the table in humiliation. "Ha! You're funny, girl. First of all, even if we _had_ been nobility, most women don't join the military anymore. There simply aren't enough positions. Secondly, we are commoners now. Common women aren't allowed to join the military."

"_In the Fire Nation,_" I said under my breath.

Great-Grandfather warily eyed me after I said that. "So, you want to join the United Forces, do you? Don't even think about it! A Bujing would never be allowed there. And besides, no one of our lineage would ever be caught with the drabble on those boats. Earthbenders, Waterbenders... NON-Benders!"

I knew that my great-grandfather was racist, but hearing it just hurt. Our town had plenty of other benders, especially since we were on the outskirts of the Fire Nation. I was even friends with a a few of them, not that General Bujing would need to know that. "I could join if I wanted. They can't hold my lineage accountable. Besides, I'm a Firebender!"

My father sighed, running a hand over his thinning brown hair. "That's unusual here, Huo. But not in other parts of the Fire Nation. One out of three people in bigger cities can bend fire."

I wanted to believe that I was special. I wanted to master Firebending! I'd been teaching myself in private, considering Great-Grandfather was too old to teach me, (and would do so with the same demeanor he used to talk to me,) and Father worked all the time. "Well, the Fire Days Festival is coming up and I want to see what I can do."

Father sighed an laid his head on the table. "I'll be working extra that week. Dock Xu put all of us on guard duty. We're being paid by the government, so the extra income will be nice, but you both will have to fend for yourself those days. I don't want you out every night, Huo."

"It's something I want to do," I begged, fingers tightly curled around my teacup. "I've never been outside this village or seen the things I think will be at the festival. I—"

"She can go," Bujing Gao, Great-Grandfather, said suddenly, taking a gentle sip of his tea.

I wanted to instantly take back everything I said. If _he _wanted me to do something then it wasn't good. He was never on my side and he was always patronizing me. I raised an eyebrow and decided to tread carefully. "Why do you want me to, exactly?"

He stared at me blankly over the rim of his cup. "With the Fire Days Festival comes the Golden Dragon of Unity. An eligible woman is able to show her worth and honor by performing the tasks of marriage. And then she is united with the man that best suits her...above her station sometimes, as it happens."

"No!" I snapped, slamming my hand on the table. "I don't need unity! As an adult woman, I have decided that I am going to go to the Festival and see about applying for the military."

"That outburst was extremely childish, Huo," Bujing Lu, Father, said softly, not meeting my eyes. I gasped and stared at him, trying to make him look at me. He refused. "In fact, I may even agree with your great-grandfather."

I didn't realize that hot tea was bubbling out of my cup until it scalded my hand. I cursed and flung the ancient china away, standing up and clutching the burned hand to my chest. The cup had broken against the wall, leaving Bujing Gao glaring daggers at me. Tears were forming in my eyes—I wasn't sure if it was because of the burn or because my father had hurt me with his words. Either way, I left the kitchen and ran out back where we kept the barn.

Inside, I found my one and only friend next to the two hippo cows that we owned. His name was Tagon and he was the most beautiful dragon moose you would find in the Fire Nation. His head was topped by a pair of long back-curving horns, while his neck and shoulders were covered by a black, silky mane. He had ears that looked like the wings of a bat and long barbels at the corners of his mouth. His coat, a dull maroon, was only marred by the row of dorsal spines extending from the nape of his neck to the tufted tip of his tail.

Tagon wagged his large tail as I came near and nudged me as soon as I got close enough to touch. I wrapped my arms around his large head and pulled his forehead to mine. He gave a mixture between a whinny and a growl of smoke against my face.

"I'm not going to get married," I said against his scaly hide. The hippo cows mooed at me but I ignored them and ran my fingers through Tagon's black mane. "I'll get out of here and find my own way. I'm not defined by my family's actions."

He gave off that strange sound again and bucked his head against me. I decided to let out my rage by combing through his fur and washing his scales. When that didn't work, I snuck out from behind the barn and made my way through the small throngs of forest outside our land. The mud and dirt felt amazing between my toes. The path, while overgrown and dank, was obvious to those who lived in the area. It led to a small clearing that was used for many things—mainly for a small getaway for me, but also teenagers would sneak out there to have fun with each other. I never used it for that. There weren't that many attractive men in that area...and besides, I didn't want to get stuck in that village with a husband and family.

Sitting cross-legged, I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. I let the energy of the area flow through me...I let it flow through my chi and every bone in my body. I remembered what my mother had taught me about controlling my anger and releasing it with every outward breath.

I wasn't going to marry some nobleman. I would run before then. I made a plan to pack my things and hide them in that clearing. I would never let them take control of my life. When I opened my eyes, a small flame had formed in my hand. I manipulated it in ways that I'd been practicing, lengthening it and shrinking it. Forming small shapes and large. I couldn't fight with it yet, but one day, I would. I would change my fate, just as I changed the shape of the flames in my hands.


	2. Tan Eyes

**In this chapter, we get a peek at Iroh.**

** I found him difficult to write, as we don't see much of him in the show.**

** Let me know how you guys interpret my Iroh!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Tan Eyes<strong>

"Your highness." Lieutenant Roade stood behind the prince, feet shoulder's-width apart and hands behind his back. "We're ready to enter Jang-Hui."

Iroh looked around at the small, desolate town and his heart tore a little inside. "Of course, Lieutenant. Have the courier send word back to the capitol—this village needs help." The festival that he'd brought and had arrived two days prior had completely invigorated the small town—given food to the hungry and places to sleep for the tired. It had even given jobs to those who had needed money. Those who had never seen such luxuries thanked the ground that he walked on, when, in all honesty, it was nothing compared to what he'd grown up with his entire life.

"Yes, your majesty."

"It's General now, Lieutenant." He felt completely disgusted with myself. He had all of the money in the world, all of the luxuries, all of the power to do whatever he wanted. He'd gone to the best academies to learn, whereas most of the people surrounding him were lucky to know how to read and do basic math. Actually, they were lucky to eat. Lucky to _live_. And here he was, bringing them a party when all they really needed was help.

His garrison of men was the last to enter the small town, as the festival had been set up for about a day. Jang Hui was the last stop on his promotion-slash-coronation tour. It was the last city before he hit the vast ocean for a year to train the main encampment of the United Forces. It'd been three months of visiting every city and village in the Fire Nation to celebrate and recruit for his armada. Being the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation _and _a General in the United Forces? It was something that didn't happen often and needed to be celebrated according to the Council and his advisers...and his mother.

Watching the small, malnourished children run by his feet churned his stomach. He felt so _guilty_ about spending so much money on all of the extravagance of his coronation tour when these people could barely afford food.

A body brushed past his; it was a small child holding a crudely-crafted lute. "Huo!" she shouted. Iroh's men raised their hands but he just waved them off. The kid probably didn't know who he was and obviously wasn't paying attention to where she was going. But watching the child run made his heart constrict a little—he would have to birth an heir at _some _point.

But that was one reason he had become a General in the first place. His five years of required service kept him from being married off. As much as he loved his mother and his country, he couldn't just marry some woman that was forced upon him. He wasn't even in that right kind of _mindset_. Love, family, marriage, ruling the _Fire Nation..._none of that seemed real to him. It wasn't his real passion. But, as the heir to the throne, one day it would have to be.

The child—a little brown-headed, brown-eyed, scrawny thing—ran over to a woman. She was wearing a very old kimono—it had to have been over fifty years old, if he knew anything about fashion—but it was very elegant on her. She was thin and wiry, and although he couldn't see what was beneath the kimono, he could see a set of wide hips for how thin she was. Thick black hair was braided multiple times up and around the back of her head. Fire lilies were scattered throughout. All the skin she was showing was painted white. Her eyes were painted with black liner and her lips were painted a cherry red.

The smile of those cherry red lips when the child ran up to her warmed his heart. It was so difficult to find anything remotely beautiful about the desolate towns he'd been visiting. Yet the smile of one young maiden seemed to give him a little reason to smile as well.

Those eyes, he told himself, he would never forget. Tan, sparkling with flecks of gold and brown. Simply beautiful.

**HHH**

I smiled to the children who ran by me, so oblivious to the poverty around them. Most of them were trader children or kids of fishermen. Some had a little money, enough to keep from starving most nights. Some had what they _thought_ was a good life. But how many of them had ever been out of this decrepit village? I hadn't. I doubted that any of them had, either. But I was going to leave and _soon._

I'd been caught multiple times trying to sneak out of the house that week. For being over one-hundred years old, Great-Grandfather had the ears of a bat-hawk! After the fourth time I gave up and decided to go to the Fire Days Festival, find the recruiter for the United Republic's Forces, and sign up where Bujing Gao couldn't stop me. I'd have to change my name, of course, but I figured that that wouldn't be too difficult.

In the meantime, I had to play along with Great-Grandfather's plan. After three hours of being forcefully bathed, made up, and dressed by some of the town women, I looked like a perfect little...I didn't know what I looked like. It _felt_ like the makeup was caked on and the kimono was tripping and constricting me. Still, I was at the festival and that was a step closer to freedom.

This festival was a blessing for me, for the village, but especially for the children. They'd never seen anything quite as wonderful or vibrant. Free food was being handed out at every corner, feeding the hungry and delighting those who could use even a little bit more. Some delicacies, like Flaming Fire Flakes, were wonders to those who had never had them.

Like me.

I absolutely loved them. Carefully, as to avoid smudging my makeup, I placed one on my tongue and let it melt in my mouth. They tasted sweet until they sat there for a moment, quickly blazing like a fire had been placed there. When swallowed, it made me feel so warm all over!

"Huo!" a child's voice called. I turned in the town square to see a small child—barely to my knee in height—running towards me. Carrying what looked like a lute.

I smirked and shook my head, knowing what she wanted. "Already, Sala? I did this yesterday!"

A small group of children was starting to form around me. I laughed and shook my head, not able to say no to their bright, hopeful faces. Behind me was a relatively clean boulder, so I smoothed my dress and sat down. Sala handed me her lute and smiled a bright, gap-toothed smile.

"Alright, okay, what story am I telling you today?"

The children all shouted out their answers. As I strummed the lute for them, I couldn't help but see my dress underneath. I thought on some stories as I stared at the intricate designs. It was old—my grandmother's, to be exact. It was most definitely out of style, but it was the most luxurious thing that anyone in Jang-Hui owned next to Great-Grandfather's tea set. It was a deep red that worked well with my pale skin and dark hair. Gold dragons circled up and down the fabric and gold trim lined every edge. It was made of multiple layers, but each one was a soft silk that had been well-maintained over the years. It had been my great-grandmother's but my mother had worn it for her wedding.

The song I was playing was one that she had sung for me many years ago before she'd passed from a sickness. As I played I asked the children, "How many of you know anything about the spirits?"

They were sitting cross-legged in a circle around me as I sat on that boulder in the square. Most of them were yet seven summers, mostly younger. One of the younger ones raised her hand impatiently. "I know!"

I smiled softly at her as I continued to strum the melody of the tune. "Yes, Iroka?"

She sat up straight and cleared her throat. She was missing a few teeth when she opened her mouth to speak. "Spirits live in the Spirit World!"

The children all blew raspberries at her and cajoled her. One boy in particular, Shiji, punched her shoulder lightly. "We all knew that, stupid!"

"Now, now," I said, "that is true. The spirits who live there reside in many different areas, just like we humans do. In fact, the Spirit World reflects our very own world. Spirits, like we mortal beings, can be light or dark. Many pray to the spirits, like we pray to the Sun Spirit, or to our own gods who reside over us."

"Like Agni?" Shiji asked.

"Yes, like Agni." I let my fingers effortlessly play through the simple chords. While I couldn't play much, what I did know was more than they knew. Even the simplest sound made them _ooh _and _ahh._ A few of the festival folk were gathering around to listen, too. I didn't mind, I was just trying to make the children forget about their misfortunes for a little while. "Spirits take the forms of many different creatures, different from even the animals that reside in our lands. Some of them take more familiar shapes. Some are just wisps of smoke or rain falling from a cloud."

"How can a spirit be rain?" a girl named Onji asked. She was six and had lost her father to the same sickness to which I'd lost my mother. I'd taken care of her before, especially during the hardest part of the sickness.

"Because it's a spirit," Shiji said with a roll of his eyes. "Duh!"

"Spirits are beings not of this world, Onji," I said. Her eyes looked hurt at Shiji's reply. "As I said before, they can be benevolent or harmful. We pray to many of them to help grow our crops or heal those we love."

Onji's eyes teared up then, making me regret those last words. "Why didn't they help my dad, then? Why don't the Spirits listen to our prayers when we ask them?"

I felt my heart break for her. "Oh, child. The spirits cannot interfere with our lives. If we pray to the spirits asking to be more patient, do you think they make us more patient? Or do they give us opportunities to be patient? If we pray for courage, do the spirits give us courage, or do they give us opportunities to be courageous?"

"But why did they take my daddy?"

That question was one I couldn't answer. "I don't know, child. People tell us that when others die, that it was their time. I lost faith for a while when I lost my mother. But that does not mean that the spirits wished to take our loved ones away. I would not say that it was an opportunity, but there is always a reason, I should hope."

"What if I don't believe in spirits?" Shiji asked with his nose in the air.

I took a deep breath and realized that the spirits were giving me an opportunity to become more patient. "Let me sing you a song my mother used to sing to me when I asked her the same question.

_When the earth was young_

_And the air was sweet_

_And the mountains kissed the sky_

_In the Spirit World, with its many paths_

_Man and nature lived side by side."_

A small crowd was gathering as I struggled to remember the chords. I hadn't sung the song in many years. The lyrics, while ingrained into my memory, had also been a long time coming. Still, I let the music flow from my lips and fingers and let the world around me evaporate as I imagined the world of which I sang.

"_The pretty wisdom does not come without learning_

_And revision not wholly with our eyes_

_We can think that we see_

_Truly see they're around us_

_But when we look_

_Do we see with open minds?"_

I hoped that the children could understand what I was saying. They were listening with baited breath and seemed to be soaking in every word, every note, every stanza. I played on, not noticing the large crowd of United Republic soldiers that were showing me attention as I stood up and danced among the children.

"_Great Spirits of all who lived before_

_Take our hands and lead us_

_Fill our hearts and souls with all you know_

_The key to understanding_

_Is to see through others' eyes_

_Find a way to help us_

_See from all sides_

_Truly see from all sides!_

I helped the children up and danced with them. Someone in the crowd had picked up on the chord signature and started playing along with a woodwind. One child wasn't dancing so I pulled him along with me. I grasped Shiji's chin delicately, looked him in the eye, and sang,

"_Teach our children to look deeper than the surface_

_See the world through another's eyes_

_For to be blind beyond yourself_

_Is to look but not see it_

_Knowing much is not enough to be wise."_

By this time, a few villagers had started dancing along. The tune sped up the closer it got to the chorus and I couldn't help but let myself live in the music.

"_To see the wonder_

_In all we've been given_

_In a world that's not always as it seems_

_Every corner we turn,_

_Always leads to another_

_Follow on, for a journey begins!_

_Great Spirits of all who've lived before_

_Take our hands and lead us_

_Fill our hearts and souls with all you know_

_Show us that in your eyes_

_We are all the same_

_Find a way to help us_

_See from all sides_

_Truly see from all sides!"_

After another chorus, the song ended in a flurry of chords as I held the last note out. Applause rang throughout the square and I flushed down to my toes. Almost every villager I knew was standing out there, watching me, as well as half of the United Republic soldiers that had come with the festival. The servants of the festival were there as well and I couldn't have been more embarrassed in my life.

I quickly handed the lute back to Sala and bowed to the children. I looked at the sun and saw that it was late—_very_ late and I needed to be gone! I said my goodbyes as quickly as possible and tried to run towards the Golden Dragon of Unity's tent when I ran straight into a brick wall.

I landed hard on the dirt and something in my wrist twinged as I caught myself. Ignoring the pain, I looked up into the eyes of what looked to be a very handsome noble man. He was better dressed than anyone I'd ever seen before and held himself in a very regal way. His face looked to be sculpted out of granite with thick black hair atop. Bright topaz eyes looked down on me with a small amount of shock and something else I couldn't quite register. His thick jaw started to open to say something when two men on either side of him started to advance on me.

They were wearing uniforms from the United Republic. One was maroon, another green, and another blue. Each one stood at least six foot five and wore ranks on their lapels that I didn't recognize. _Officers!_

This man had to have been very important to have bodyguards of such stature. I shrunk back and may have given an undignified squeak of fright. The man stopped them, though. He held out his hand to me. "My dear lady," he said in a gruff, low voice, "I apologize. Your voice held me captive and I simply could not move out of the way fast enough."

I snorted in laughter as I took his hand to stand. I was taken back by his large, too-soft hands against mine. He pulled me up and looked surprised at my snort. "I'm far from a lady, m'lord, but I thank you for the compliment. I apologize for running into...someone of your stature. If you'll excuse me, I'm late for a meeting and punctuality is a strong requirement for a good first impression, which I won't likely make anyway."

One of his guards advanced on me. "You'll address the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation with his proper title, peasant!"

A gasp came from the villagers around him. I stared at the man in front of me with a little bit of awe, a little bit of fear, and a lot a bit of fury. I only briefly wondered why I hadn't recognized him before, but that was quickly taken over by my temper. This man got to travel in luxury and put on this _festival _using _our _tax money, while my people rotted on the outskirts of his _nation_. I held my anger in check but I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks.

Prince Iroh, for I knew it to be him, waved the soldier down. "She was fine in addressing me as such, Lieutenant, and if you speak like that to a lady again I will have you sent back to the capitol. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The gruff, older man didn't even look ashamed.

"It's _General_, Lieutenant."

"Yes, General, sir!" The soldier clicked his heels together and got back in line.

Iroh's topaz eyes turned back to me. I was clenching my mother's jade pendant at my throat hoping for a calming effect. It wouldn't do to attack the Prince of the Fire Nation and apparently General of the United Republic. My family was already banished—we didn't need eradicated. "My lady, I apologize for his insolence. I hope that your meeting goes well."

"I don't," I replied curtly, giving him a small nod. He seemed surprised by my cheek. "But I do hope that you will remember our village, my _prince_, as we are not in a good way here." One of the town elders tried to grab my arm, to stop me, but I brushed her off. "Your people are starving. Children can't read or write and grow up unable to find suitable jobs to help themselves. It's a vicious cycle that needs to be stopped."

The square was dead silent as the man stared as if into my soul. My hands clenched and unclenched in fear and anger by my sides. The makeup on my face suddenly felt too thick and my clothes felt constricting. I just wanted to put on my leathers and go practice hitting things until they were burned to a crisp.

"I will not forget this village," he told me truthfully. His eyes were burning with a passion—a Firebender's passion. "I've seen the outer villages and I know how much help they need. I've already sent missives to the capitol. When I come back in a year, if things are still not fixed, then I will fix them with my own two hands. On that you have my word."

I nodded but found it hard to believe him. _Wouldn't want to destroy those soft hands of yours, Prince_. My throat was tight as if I were about to cry, but I didn't let those emotions show. Rather, I gave a perfect bow to him—one of respect—and then I looked him in the eye. "Thank you, my prince. If I may, I will have my leave."

As I brushed against his shoulder in my haste to leave, he reached out and grasped my wrist. I didn't like to be handled that way. I stared defiantly into his eyes. "What is your name?"

The last thing the Prince of the Fire Nation needed to hear me say was that I was a Bujing. Instead, I said, "Call me a fox, for that is all I am to you."

"The General asked you a question," the same town elder from before gasped in boiling fury.

"No," Prince Iroh said as he graciously released me, "it is fine. Until we meet again, Little Fox." He gave me a bow that made me chuckle. When he grasped my hand and laid a kiss upon it, however, that chuckle caught in my throat. "I cannot wait for the day."

I wanted to call him a kiss-ass, but the words were stuck in my throat. Rather, I snatched my hand away before the blush could show through my makeup and I ran toward the giant golden tent on the other side of the pavilion. As soon as I suffered through an appraisal of my merit as a woman, I would run out of there and to a recruiter. And, if that didn't work, I still had a pack of things waiting. I would run away if I had to.

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><p><strong>Lyrics: "Great Spirits" by Phil Collins (listen to the Tina Turner version)<strong>


	3. Golden Dragon

**Chapter 3: Golden Dragon**

Iroh's head adviser, Hamin Jaxus, was trudging behind him as they pushed their way through the crowd. The Prince ignored him for the most part, instead trying to keep my eye on the floating fire lily that was on the back of Little Fox's hair. She moved through the crowd almost like water. It was hard to keep up with her lithe form.

"Sire, must you follow the girl? She humiliated you in one of your own villages."

Iroh sighed. The old man had been by his side since the heir had been born. He'd taught Iroh the ways of state and court. Hamin had even taught him some Firebending when they were away from the capitol. His father had died at a young age, but Hamin kind of filled that role. In an old, cranky, uptight sort of way.

"Not many women who know who I am dare speak to me that way. It's refreshing, in all honesty." The lily disappeared into a giant golden tent. Iroh recognized the tent; it followed the festival around and married up local women to some of his newly-signed men and even veterans. "And she's looking to marry, apparently."

"The makeup and outdated costume didn't give that away?" the old man asked. His sarcasm never got old.

"These people don't have much," Iroh said softly. "That's probably her best outfit." He went into the tent. Golden Dragon tents had a separate side for men to watch through a one-way window. If the men like what they saw and heard, they could put their names in for an instant marriage proposal. The proposals could go either way, but usually they went through. While outdated, it was a great way to snoop on the fox.

Iroh was upset that he'd missed her name, but he still got a chance to see how she acted in a more mature setting. The room was small with but a tea table in the center and a tea set on top of that. Outdated draperies hung around. A small chandelier of candles lit the room.

An old, overweight woman with a mole on her face slowly circled the fox. "Too skinny," she said as she marked down something on her clipboard. "Not good for carrying sons. Wide hips, though, good for birthing them." Iroh grimaced at the tone the woman used, as if Little Fox were a piece of cattle. "Good bone structure, healthy hair and skin. Pour me some tea while I appraise the rest of you."

"Yes ma'am."

"Talking without permission..." The woman made another note on her clipboard.

Little Fox's ears, which weren't covered by makeup, flared a light pink in what the prince guessed was fury. Still, she tempered it as she had earlier with him and started performing a traditional tea ceremony. This surprised him. Most peasants Iroh knew would not be able to perform such a feat, especially not as well as she did it. Between her outdated robes and the way that she performed the ceremony, he decided that she must have been part of a noble family that had fallen during his grandfather's reign. Noble traditions would have filtered down through the generations, perhaps even as far as three generations.

"Very good. It is unusual to see such finesse out of a backwater girl. We'll need to temper that tongue a little, but it isn't the worst I've heard." Little Fox's ears were now a bright red. Still, she held her tongue and sat down after the bitter hag had taken her first sip. Then she poured herself a cup and daintily took a sip. "Now, I assume you aren't a Firebender—"

"Yes ma'am, I am." Iroh was surprised yet again by this girl—not many of the citizens on the outskirts of the Fire Nation were Firebenders. And, if they were, they were usually sent west to become part of the military. Something wasn't adding up in the prince's mind.

The woman raised an eyebrow and marked something on her clipboard. Thankfully, she didn't say anything about Little Fox interrupting her. "Ah. I see. Unusual. And how long have you been practicing?"

"My great-grandfather told me that women are not allowed to practice Firebending." Iroh could see that her hands were clenched around her teacup. While it was an outdated view, many still thought that women shouldn't fight now that the war was over. Even during the war, only noblewomen were allowed to fight in the military. "I mostly use it to start lights and warm food." Somehow he knew that _that_ was a boldfaced lie.

The woman made another annoying mark on her clipboard. "Good breeding stock, then. Men want strong, Firebending sons. There are plenty of eligible men here at the festival, you know. Prince Iroh has been recruiting men for his armada. Most of them want to take a wife before they go away for a year. Someone to keep house for them and to get with child before they leave for training in order to continue their line...just in case they don't come back, of course. They should come back whole."

Steam was rising from Little Fox's teacup but the old woman didn't seem to notice. The candles in the room flickered dangerously. "Of course. What else are women for, besides breeding and keeping house?"

The hag didn't seem to notice her sarcasm. "It is good that you think so. Just a few more questions and then we'll be done. I'm sure that there will be a match before the end of the day. Now, are you pure?"

"Excuse me?" Her ears had dimmed from their earlier flare ups, but now they were bright red again. It was actually adorable how flustered she got at such a simple question. The matter of a girl's virginity was how she survived in court. If it were known that a woman wasn't pure, she was instantly shamed and sent away. Who knew, then, if the child she bore was her husband's if she wasn't taken by the husband and only he?

The woman lowered the wireframe glasses on her nose and looked Little Fox directly in the eye. "Your virginity. Is it still intact?"

"Y-yes, it is!" the girl stuttered. She grasped onto the jade pendant that hung from her neck, just as she had when she and Iroh had talked. It seemed to keep her from saying something that she would later regret. "I don't see how that is any of your business, though!"

The hag gritted her teeth and braced herself against the table. "You are mine right now, girl, and you had best show me respect! Your virginity is a matter of dire importance to any man you marry! If you are to wed someone above your class, it is imperative that you retain it."

"So men get to whore around while women have to stay pure? That hardly seems fair." The sarcasm dripped from her lips like venom. Hamin next to him scoffed and Iroh couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sire, we really should be getting back to your pavilion," his adviser said with a frown. Iroh unfortunately missed whatever the old hag had to say about Little Fox's little outburst. "Hasn't this gone on enough? You can't wed her anyway and this is a waste of time."

"Like I said, Hamin, it is incredibly refreshing. Still, you are correct. We should—" A blood-curdling scream from outside cut him off. Flames erupted against the tent's fabric. A body of one of his closest Firebenders fell into the tent, tearing it as the body fell to the ground. Iroh bent down and rolled him over, hoping to find him still alive. All it showed was that the Firebender's throat had been slit.

He was dead.


	4. Red Blood

**This is where the main action starts. The intro is necessary to see who Huo is as a person, but now we're getting to the good bits. I've decided to make the Equalists a little more bloodthirsty in my story than they were in the show.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Red Blood<strong>

The scream made my heart stop in my chest. I ran to the entrance of the tent, ignoring the fat old hag yelling behind me, and what I saw made my heart start hammering in my chest all over again. This time it wasn't from nervousness.

My city was on _fire_. Women and children were screaming, running, as men in strange black and metal uniforms with green goggles overtook the few men that were stationed in our town. Most of Iroh's men had been sent ahead to Shu Jing to prepare to depart, but the few that had stayed were easily being taken out by the sheer number of these killers. That and the cowardly surprise attack.

Children running by me seemed to snap me out of my state of shock. I grasped two of the younger ones and hoisted them onto my hips. I could run faster than them and get them somewhere safe where they wouldn't be hurt. "The rest of you, follow me!"

I could hear people crying as others were dying all around. Homes and possessions were burning. The smell of singed flesh met my nose and I was almost sick right then and there. Still, I had to get the children to safety.

I made it to my barn when the first man tried to stop me. He wore strange green goggles and his hands seemed to crackle with electricity. I handed Iroka and Onji over to some older children. "Run! Use the forest!"

Never having fought before, I set myself in a stance that I'd seen my father use during practice before. I shot out a flame that he easily dodged. _I don't know how to fight! I'm not ready!_ "What do you want? Why are you doing this?!"

He cracked his knuckles and stared at me as if I were a piece of meat—although a rotted one, at that. "_Firebender filth_. We're here to rid the world of you once and for all!"

"We did nothing to you. Stop hurting innocents! Leave the women and children alone!" I was being backed up against the barn but there was nothing I could do. These men had taken down trained soldiers...how was I going to get out alive if they hadn't?

"You are garbage!" the man said with a deranged laugh. "Bending is a blight upon the world! I'm here to rid it of just one more piece of trash."

Just as the man lunged, a gout of fire was shot out at him. I gasped and turned to see my grandfather stepping out of the house. He was breathing hard and sweat was dripping down his face. Just that one kick was more work than he'd done in my nineteen years. "Great-Grandfather, no!" _You're too weak!_

"Don't you know anything, girl?! Fight back!"

"Another Firebender! Just my luck!" the man laughed. His green goggles glinted from the light in an eerie way. "Two dog-birds with one stone."

"I don't know how," I said as I mimicked his stance. Three more killers joined the other and we were surrounded. Great-Grandfather stomped the ground and a line of fire circled around us. He could bring it up as a wall when they wanted to attack. "You're to thank for that!"

"Now is not the time to criticize me!"

Two of the men tried to advance. I shot out a blast that hit one in the shoulder. The other man came to the edge of our ring and Great-Grandfather brought the wall of fire up. I could see how much it drained him. I tried to help, but it made the wall unstable so I stopped.

We were safe momentarily. Great-Grandfather, breathing heavily, turned an eye to me. "Huo. We were never close, but you must listen to me. You need to run. Get out of here. These men...they are not good men. They are after benders. They want to kill us all!"

"I kind of got that, thank you for the memo!"

"Huo!"

I flushed and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry. I'm just scared."

His eyes, the eyes that I'd inherited, softened for the first time that I'd seen in my whole life. "You're the only chance of my blood leaving this hole. Get out of here and make a name for yourself. Show that the Bujings are a strong name once again."

I didn't want to tell this dying old man that our name would never get us anything. The only way his blood would go anywhere was when my named changed to that of my husband's. Instead, I nodded. "You won't be able to hold this wall for long. What's your plan?"

He turned back to concentrating on the wall and narrowed his eyes at it. His body was starting to shake from the effort. "I will blast the wall outwards. You will run after the children. You will find a way out—" He was cut off when a large throwing knife speared him in the throat.

I head a scream and couldn't help shaking as, first, his eyes dimmed. Then he fell. The wall of fire fell with him. Blood was pouring out of the gash on his neck. His head lolled to the side and the grass was stained with my great-grandfather's blood. The screaming was still continuing and I realized that it was me.

Hands grabbed me. I shot out fire as a knife came to my throat, but the jet of flame that came out of my mouth melted it and burned two of the men in front of me. A swift kick to the groin of the man behind me loosened me. I fell to my knees before I was able to scramble up and start running towards the center of town.

I didn't make it far. One of them grabbed the skirt of my dress and dragged me to the ground. I was able to make it onto my back before one of them was on top of me. He slapped me across the face with the back of his hand. "Maybe I should have some fun with you first, eh?" He tore the top layer of my dress down my chest and stomach. I tried to kick him off but he was too heavy. Tears streaked down my face as I tried to claw at him, but he just slapped me again.

Just as soon as the slap left my face, he was gone, flown fifty feet down the yard. I leaned my head back and saw my father with a United Forces Waterbender fighting for me. "Daddy!"

"Huo, get behind me!"

I scrambled up and hugged him before he shoved me behind him. Together, my father and the soldier took out the other two men. I was too busy watching them to notice the giant rod coming towards the back of my head.

My head hit the ground with a sickening _crack_. There was no sound to the world, only a high-pitched squeal. My vision was blurry and I watched, unable to do anything, as five more men came up behind my father and the soldier and fought. The Waterbender was the first to fall and a boot crushed his throat with unforgiving force. My father had multiple stab wounds and was fighting off swords with nothing but his bending. I tried to stand up.

My father was yelling something at me, but I still couldn't hear. _Run_, his lips said. I could barely stand. Still, I turned and tried to run. But not before I watched my father die with an electric rod shoved through his stomach. The screaming started again...most likely from me.

I ran as fast as my feet would take me. Bodies were piled up under the piers, men, women, _children_ dead to the monsters that chased after me. Something hit me in the back of my shoulder but I kept running until I made it to the town square. There was an alter where we worshiped Agni there wherein hid a perfect place to hide. I'd hidden there multiple times trying to escape the wrath of my great-grandfather and knew how hard it was to find.

I scurried up under the hidden alcove, trying to stem my breathing. My heart was beating a mile a minute, my makeup somehow staying intact with the sweat pouring down my face. I could hear the men's footprints running past me, so I held my breath.

I let it go when I realized that I was safe. And that was when the tears came. I wrapped my arms around my knees and put my face down, shoulders shaking. _My father is dead. Great-Grandfather is dead. For what? For our bending? For our heritage? What did any of us do to deserve this? Spirits, why did you allow this to happen? What did I do to anger you?_

A choked sob made its way from my throat. I had to hold it back when I heard footsteps coming my way.

"...They've gotten away."

"Why were they even here? We're so far away from the United Republic."

"But we are on the outskirts of the Fire Nation, Sire. They could be new trainees, trying to become a part of the organization. But why? For what purpose would they attack some outlying Fire Nation village?"

I couldn't hold back a sob and I heard the footsteps and voices stop. There was some quieted whispering as I held a hand to my blood-red lips. The footsteps were right in front of the alcove I was hiding under. Tears fell down my cheeks, bringing with it the mascara that had been forced upon my eyes.

An old man was looking at me with hazel eyes and a sharp, avian face. I could feel the power radiating off of him—he was obviously a Firebender, and really, really old. That meant that he wasn't with the rebels who'd killed my father. He looked important, though, as though I should know who he was.

"Girl, are you okay?" he asked in a confused voice, probably questioning the makeup and clothing I'd worn for the day.

I shied away from the hand he put out, pushing my back up against the wall and sobbing again. "N-n-no!"

His eyes softened slightly as a second head popped underneath the table. This man was incredibly handsome, with pale skin, thick, black hair, and eyes so golden that I was lost in them. My frightened mind recognized him but wouldn't put a name to the face. "What have we here?"

I pulled back and hid my face, ashamed to be crying. Great-grandfather would have told me to suck it up, as a woman of my stature didn't cry in front of company. But he was dead.

"Come here, Little Fox. We'll help you."

"NO!" I shot fire out at the elder man, fear making the candles around the courtyard flare fifty feet into the air. All I could see around me were those masks—glowing eyes were staring back at me as I threw a ring of fire out around me.

Hands tried to grab at me, but all I could see were the shocking metal devices that the killers tried to use against me. That they _had_ used against my father and great-grandfather. I scrambled out from under the table and gave out a kick to a hand that made the electricity stop. That was when I realized I was backed into a corner.

I kicked away from the grasping hands and started to run, but two hands grabbed my wrists and pulled them tight against my chest. I sobbed and tried to fight the strong arms that were pulling me against a hot, hard body, but it felt like I was locked in steel.

"Go ahead! Take my Firebending and kill me! You took everything else from me..."

Sound slowly started to come back to me, and I heard a soothing _shh_ coming from my shoulder. A strong chin rested there, the head it belonged to leaning against mine. A slow rocking was moving my body back and forth. I could only cry more as I fell to my knees, the man behind me pulling me into his lap and holding me.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," his rough, gravelly voice said into my ear. I couldn't see his face for the salty tears blocking my view, but he seemed to be sincere and was slightly comforting. "Calm down."

My body was still shaking and I felt ashamed. Great-Grandfather would have hit me for crying so in front of others—especially men. I grasped his shirt and stuffed my face in his chest, trying to get rid of everything. The lights were too bright, the entire world smelled like burned, singed skin... "Please, just take away the pain..."

"Sir, I can put her to sleep, if you'd like."

"No, Hamin" the man above me said as I tensed in his arms. "She's calming down. Are you hurt, Little Fox?"

"_Little fox_," the old man scoffed. I could imagine his old-man-face scrunching up in disgust. "She blasphemed your name earlier and almost burned us and this courtyard to a crisp!"

"She's lost everything," Iroh said above me, for I knew it to be him as my mind stopped swimming. "We'll take her with us towards the shore. Perhaps she can mend on the road."

"Once we reach Shu Jing, she'll be off there as we will set sail for a year of training."

"No," I finally was able to whisper, my voice hoarse from the smoke around me. Both men turned their attentions to me as I realized who the man on the ground with me was. "I-I can't go with you." I pushed out of Iroh's arms and stood up. He protested but I hit his hands away. I used my sleeves to wipe at the caked makeup on my face and couldn't help but noticed that my arms were shaking in a way that I couldn't control. "I'm just in shock a-and I'm frightened. They destroyed _everything_. My home, my friends, my _family_..."

"We can help you, Little Fox, but you have to trust that we are here for you and that we will deal with those responsible." He seemed so truthful, like he wanted to help me. It wasn't fair, but my brain kept saying, _Why didn't he help my family, then? Why didn't he save the people of my town? _A small burned body behind him churned my stomach.

"Who are they?" I bit out, wringing my hands together. I couldn't look at them anymore. The destruction around me held my interest as the rage within me boiled to a melting point. The general store where I shopped for all of our goods—gone. The fruit stands on the pier—gone. All of the wooden walkways, connecting my house to every other in the small town—_gone_. Bodies lined the walls and I couldn't help the bile that rose in my throat.

Iroh sighed and started treating me like a cornered cat. "They're called Equalists. They believe that there should be no benders in this world, to make everyone—"

"Equal, yeah, I got that part," I snapped. The flames in the square grew higher with my anger. "Where are they based? Who is their leader?"

"We don't know who their leader is," Iroh sighed, running a hand through his hair. " "He's kept his identity a secret so far. But we don't have time for this. We've got to get moving, send out word, and get on the water."

My eyes flashed as every possible scenario moved through my head. I had to get to those murderers and take from them what they'd taken from me. My eyes met Iroh's briefly. "Let me join you. I'm a Firebender, I can fight!"

"You can't go after them," the old man, Hamin, said. "You aren't well enough prepared and you do not have the abilities nor the resources to do so. You are a woman and not of noble birth, therefore you cannot join under Iroh's command." At my crestfallen look, the old man said, "I will tell you that they are based out of Republic City, though, which makes it strange for them to have come so far out."

Having no other choice, I turned around and headed for my house. With luck, Tagon had gotten free from the fighting and was looking for me. I had extra supplies hidden in the clearing that I'd prepared earlier. Anything else I could find would be coming with me in Tagon's saddlebags.

"Where are you going?!" Iroh shouted after me. He caught up and grabbed my arm. I had a flashback to when everything had seemed beautiful and perfect and a handsome man had flirted with me just a little. "You need medical attention! You won't make it far if the Equalists are still out in the forest."

"They won't catch me again," I said under my breath. I turned and looked at him for what I was sure was the last time in my life. His topaz eyes were like pools of molten gold and his lips were so perfect, I almost wanted to get slapped for planting one on him. The look on his face would have been priceless. "Leave, go, get on your ships! Have villages around us send aid to those who are still living! Have some of your men stay behind and help."

"And you?" he asked in that low gravel voice of his. His grip on my arm turned into a finger that tilted my chin up. "What of you, Little Fox?"

"I'm going to avenge the death of my family."

**HHH**

I stopped running at about the outskirts of our burned and destroyed town. Forest and farmland were all I could see beyond the river that lay in front of me. Beyond that stretched a vast body of water that I knew to be the ocean. I'd never seen it, but that's what was out behind the forests. That ocean was what was going to get me out of the Fire Nation and towards those...those _monsters. _The Equalists.

I was lucky to find Tagon drinking from the water there. I ran to him and threw my arms around his neck. He nuzzled against me and nipped at the tears that were flowing down my face.

I bent down by the edge of the river and looked at my reflection in the surface. My face was covered in soot, sweat, blood, tears, makeup, and dirt. When I'd thought I'd rubbed the makeup off earlier, I'd only smudged it, making my face a mottled color of white, black, and red. My hair, which used to be down to my butt, was singed in places up to my shoulders. I had a few burns on my neck, face, and hands. My clothes were singed.

My hair couldn't be saved, I knew that for a fact. And if it was shorter, I would be harder to recognize...not that some peasant girl from Jang Hui would be recognized by anyone. Still, I didn't want to take the risk that some Equalist rebel would recognize me as the one that got away.

Gritting my teeth, I pulled my knife out of its sheath on my arm. I grasped a chunk of my hair where it had been singed the shortest and measured it with the rest of my hair. Then, I cut it all off at that length. I let my hair float down the river. It was kind of symbolic...as if my old life were gone, as it was, and my new life needed to still catch up.

My ceremonial matching clothes would look strange outside of anywhere besides the Golden Dragon of Unity's ceremonies. I took off all the over clothes and threw them into Tagon's saddlebags. Left in a white chemise and a plain black skirt, I tore my skirt in two up the middle vertically, then torn into strips along the inside horizontally so that I could tie them together to make two long strips for my legs to be housed. Then I cut the long, flowing sleeves off of my top to my shoulders. That way it didn't look so...ceremonial. It more so looked like a practice uniform I'd seen some of the military people at the Fire Days Festival wearing.

I was still dirty and disheveled. That's when I realized that I looked slightly like a boy. My eyes, although still feminine, were hidden by the grime that covered me. I wiped all the makeup off and smeared some dirt on my face. I then took a strip of cloth I'd had left over and pulled my hair into a topbun, like I'd seen the military men wearing. After that, I pulled open my shirt and tightened my breast band until my chest was as flat as I could make it.

I looked at my reflection again. Gone was the bright-eyed girl who cared for her family. Gone was the hope and joy and wonder about the world. Now I was a dirty urchin who was running away from _his_ past and wanted to kill any and all Equalists that got in his way.


	5. Brown Dirt

**As we don't see many soldiers from Iroh's fleet (or even much of Iroh for that matter,) there will be a few OC's introduced to keep the flow of the story going. Thanks everyone for the reviews and follows. I hope I keep hearing from you!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Brown Dirt<strong>

The journey to the next sea-faring town took me four days. I'd picked berries and roots along the way to keep from starving but it wasn't quite enough. Tagon was on his last leg and could barely support me anymore. I'd followed the river and had plenty of water...I kept the dirt, though. The more I looked at myself the less I saw me and the more I saw some strange, young boy.

Now I was standing on the docks at some town I'd barely looked at. My legs felt like they still wanted to keep walking but I tried to stand up straight.

"Name," the strong, buff man in front of me asked. He didn't even look up at me as he kept scribbling on the parchment on his makeshift desk made of boxes. His voice sounded familiar—he was the Lieutenant who'd advanced on me when I had run into Iroh. Which meant that I could be joining Iroh's army after all. _Take that, Hamin!_

I was currently standing on the pier, dozens of large ships looming high above me. Some of them had Earth Kingdom symbols on the front and Water Tribe insignias on the sides. I assumed these were United Forces Ships. The ocean, which I'd never seen, was blue and bright and cheery in the afternoon sun. This was much different from Jang-Hui's polluted river. I couldn't wait to get on the boat and set sail. The man in front of me was the only thing keeping me from that life.

I hadn't thought much about my name. I couldn't exactly go around spouting a name like "Bujing," especially to a man who'd obviously grown up in the Fire Nation. I tried sounding things out in my head—'_Fa Huo'...no, too feminine. Huo can be considered a man's name, so I can keep that... Gao Huo? No, I won't use my great-grandfather's personal name even if it was the last name on earth. But..._

"Name," he said again, impatiently, this time looking up at me. He was a Firebender, there was no doubting it. With only having met four or five others, it was easy to feel the aura coming off of him. That, and his eyes were like little angry infernos.

"Lu Huo," I said confidently, standing up a little straighter. It was one way to remember my father, at least. _May the spirits grant you peace, Bejing Lu._

"Never heard of your family." He leaned back into his chair and rubbed his scruff with a calloused hand. Those Fire Nation eyes dug into my soul.

I felt my confidence deflate and I let my shoulders slump. "Well, I live on the outskirts of the Fire Nation. I think my family mixed with some Earth Kingdom citizens..."

"No need to explain yourself to me, kid. Birthdate?"

How old _was_ I? I was nineteen summers, but, as a boy, I didn't look any more past puberty. "Nineenth Day of the Seventh Month of the Year of the Dragon. I'm twelve!"

The man raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. He leaned forward and started writing again. "Uh-huh. And no Firebending, so—"

"I'm a Firebender!" I shouted, interrupting him. I had a flashback to when the fat old hag in the Golden Dragon tent had assumed that I wasn't one as well. It'd instantly set a fire in my blood. That same fire was burning when I lit a flame in my hand to prove to the recruiter that I could bend. "See?"

The Lieutenant stroked his brown stubble of a beard. "Huh. Well, the General was looking for a new ship's boy. You fit all the qualifications. It'd be better if you were noble, but..."

If he wouldn't let me on the ship then my entire plan was ruined. I pleaded at this guy with my eyes, hoping that my girlish pull would make him choose me. Then I pulled Tagon's head next to my face to add to the cute look. "Look, I've got a dragon-moose to ride into battle and everything! I'll be a good soldier, I promise!"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, I guess. The General likes the charity cases anyhow. You're hired, kid."

I didn't have time to even think about how I was going to pull off being a boy. Everything happened so fast that I just assumed it would be easy. Little did I know how wrong I was going to be.

**HHH**

They took Tagon and put him down in the hold somewhere. I only hoped that I would be able to see him in my year on the sea.

Walking onto the ship was like walking into what I'd imagine was a large city's market on harvest day. While I'd never seen it, I'd seen what our town looked like when we got _our _meager harvest and it was like chickens with their heads cut off running around a burning farm. This was a little more organized, but still, I was overwhelmed for a little while.

Some large men were wearing scant little and covered in soot. Others were climbing ladders and fixing metal panels up atop the helm's roof. Yet others were carrying provisions down into the hull of the ship and cleaning. Not a single person, besides me, was standing around and doing nothing.

I was actually getting in the way. One sailor knocked me to the side while carrying a large sack of potatoes over each shoulder. "Watch it, boy!"

Another walked by with a broom and wacked me on the back of the head with its handle. "Get working or get out of the way, boy!"

I finally got out of the way by hanging onto the ship's railings. I was able to look out onto the beautiful sea while I waited to figure out what I needed to do. Pelingulls flew against the current, snatching up fish on the way. The sea air was salty and crisp as I breathed it in. Wind tickled the little hairs around my face.

"You don't have anything to do either, huh?" a small voice suddenly asked from next to me. I jumped and turned to see a little boy, maybe eight or nine or so, standing behind me. He was just as dirty as I was and about the same height, which upset me a little because he appeared to be pretty young and I was actually nineteen. He had curly, light brown hair atop his pale head and bright blue eyes under thick brows. He put his freckled, lanky arms up onto the railing next to me and looked out onto the ocean as I had been. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I'm Kojo. Who're you?"

"Huo," I said in what I hoped was a young boy-sounding voice. My adult, female brain suddenly wondered why there was another little boy on board. "What do you do on board? How old are you?" _He's too young to be a soldier._

"I'm eight," he said, swelling his chest in pride. "And I'm the doctor's son. So I'm the lollyloby boy."

Those words made me grimace. A lollyloby boy was the kid who helped saw off people's appendages when they were getting gangrene or mangled beyond repair. He was also the doctor's assistant, training to be a doctor, but the first part was what most people remembered about lollyloby boys. "Oh."

"No, don't say it like that. _'Oh_.' Makes it sound awful. It's cool! I've been studying under my dad for two years. I haven't had to cut off anyone's leg yet but I'm learning a lot. My great-great grandma was a really expert healer and everyone in our family has followed in her footsteps."

"'_Cool_'?"

"Yeah, I'm from the Northern Water Tribe. It's something we say up there. You guys have weird sayings, too. '_Flamin_''? Who says that?"

I laughed and shook my head as a weight settled on my shoulders. "No one I know." I stared into his blue eyes for a moment before feeling guilty and looking out. This kid, Kojo, he was looking at me like he wanted to be friends. We were near the same age, technically. I felt bad for having to deceive him. "I'm the General's new ship's boy." _Whatever that means._

Kojo's eyes widened like saucers. His millions of freckles moved with his face in a comic way. "No way! You get to train with the General, that's so cool!"

"Huh?" _What in Koh's name are you talking about, kid?_

"Yeah," he said, turning to look at me, "you get to be the General's personal assistant, but he repays you with training and teaching you the ways of the country! Normally noble kids are saved for that but you must be something special."

I shook my head and stared out to sea. _I'm completely fooling all of these people...I should feel bad, but instead I'm looking forward to killing a few Equalists on the other side of this ocean. Something's wrong with me._ "Nothing special, Kojo...just a dirty peasant kid, 'sall. Apparently the General likes charity cases."

"You're not just a dirty peasant," Kojo said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You're dirty, but you're more than that!"

A laugh made its way out of my throat. For some reason, I'd always gotten along better with younger kids. He made me feel more at home on a ship full of ornery old men. I pushed him away playfully. "Yeah, sure. You're just as dirty!"

"Shuddap, ya dirty urchins!" a mean, craggy voice yelled from behind us. We turned around and saw that we were being glared at by an old, worn-out man. He was wearing the same uniform that everyone else was wearing, but it was faded from the sun. "The General's coming on deck! Get in line!"

I just noticed that all of the men on board were in lines across the deck. I grabbed Kojo's arm and pulled him with me to stand in the front of the line. Compared to all the well-dressed military men around us, Kojo and I looked like dirty little street urchins. We smelled, too. We were getting glared at by all of the other men around us.

Most were sixteen, which was the legal age to join the military. None of them seemed very different than me, other than they were clean. Others were my actual age, eighteen or nineteen, and yet more were as old as my father had been. They looked less scared and had obviously been in more battles than I could ever imagine.

The ship was a beautiful naval frigate. It held a crew of over one-hundred with room enough on the deck for all of them to fight and go about their daily lives. Now that the deck was clear, I could see platforms and cannons sat every-other on the metal deck, the platforms with Earth Kingdom symbols and the cannons with Fire Nation insignias.

My wandering eyes snapped to attention when the door to the undership burst open. Standing there stood the man that would ferry me across the ocean in order to get my revenge—General Iroh, grandson of Fire Lord Zuko, hero of the United Forces. He'd gotten to his position at a young age by stopping the rebellions between the Earth Kingdom colonies and the Fire Nation citizens who still lived there.

I just hoped that he didn't recognize me.

I didn't take my eyes off of him as he walked his way toward us. "Gentlemen," he said loudly, projecting his voice across the dozens of men on the deck. "Today you become a part of the First Division. I enacted this regiment during the Fire and Earth Rebellions to work special operations. We have one-hundred and eighty-two Firebenders, seventy Earthbenders, fourty-seven Waterbenders, and two-hundred-and-one non-benders. Five-hundred soldiers across ten ships. You all have the privilege of being chosen to be on the flag ship. _My _ship."

The sound of nervous sweat dripping to the floor rang out through the crowd. With all of the soldiers aboard, I hoped that I could disappear into the crowd, at least until I served my year and got into Republic City. Still, I was nervous to start training. _What chance do I have? I've never fought a day in my life. I barely know Firebending. What was I thinking?_

"On my ship, we have regulations. Uniform, cleanliness, order, rank, file—" General Iroh was suddenly standing in front of me. He cleared his throat and made me look straight in his eyes. His were molten pools of gold, surrounded by lashes of pure charcoal. His pure, ivory skin wasn't dotted with a single blemish...

Another cleared throat made me jump and stand up straight, looking straight ahead with stained red cheeks. "What in Koh's name is this?"

Hamin was suddenly standing next to him. His snooty, wrinkled face still held that resting grimace. _Maybe that wasn't just reserved for me. It's for everybody!_ He looked me up and down, as well as Kojo, and looked at the clipboard in his hands. "Looks like your new ship's boy and lollyloby boy."

"Name?" Iroh asked, staring practically into my soul.

I tried not to meet his eyes. _Please don't recognize me! _"Lu Huo, General." My voice cracked. While technically it was because I was nervous, I was glad that it made me sound more like a boy going through puberty.

"Do you have family, Huo? You look familiar."

My brain had a momentary panic attack._ He knows! It's over! We haven't even left the dock yet and I've already been found out! _Then I took a deep breath and only kind of mumbled. "N-nope," I stuttered, bouncing a little on my toes. "I-I'm an orphan. Been so for a while now." Not that long, but the Prince didn't need to know about that.

"And my dad's the doctor," Kojo said proudly.

Iroh looked to his adviser and ran a hand through his hair. Something other than the normal, stoic look appeared on his face. _He's annoyed!_ "Get them some food, uniforms, and for Agni's sake, clean them _up,_ get them out of the ranks, and off of my _deck_!"


	6. Silver Mess Kit

**Most of the music I listen to while writing this story is either Jessie J, (her song 'Do It Like a Dude' inspired the whole caboodle,) or Disney soundtracks (mostly Mulan and Brother Bear I and II). Completely opposite, I know. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Silver Mess Kit<strong>

There were a few things that I had never thought out—y'know, about being a guy. I figured out one of them when Kojo and I were thrown in the showers together and told to strip and clean. The problem with that was that I had girly bits and no extra appendage between my legs like he and the other men on the ship did. Not only did it pose a problem at that very moment, but, if I somehow made it out without being found, it also posed a problem in the entire next year of how I was supposed to shower on a ship full of men!

I refused to strip. Instead, I stood under the stream of water with my clothes on. I explained to the soldier standing watch—a Ensign _Genji _or something—that my clothes were dirty, too, so they might as well get washed at the same time. No sense in wasting water. He rolled his eyes and told me, "We're at sea. Plenty of water. But whatever, kid, you do you."

First thing that happened was that Genji took Kojo and me, soaking wet clothes and all, down to the Quartermaster. The ensign knew the ship like the back of his hand but better. "I need two uniforms. Or something to fit these two, at least. Two messkits and hammocks, too. "

The Quartermaster was an old man, balding, and round around the edges. His uniform was pristine, though, and everything looked organized and in its place. This part of the hold held bolts of cloth, enough for an army, and dozens of things I'd never seen in my life. Radios, electronics, bobbles and instruments...it was like a poor kid's dream.

And the Quartermaster was the evil baron who hoarded everything and took all our money. "Alright, but it'll be taken out of their pay." I frowned and stuck my tongue out at him when he wasn't looking.

I compared the two people I'd met so far as I was handed some clothing. Kojo had had some money before getting to the ship, it turned out—he just didn't like to bathe. His dad being a doctor and all, he hadn't starved any when he was younger. It was surprising that, for a Water Tribe member, he was pretty down on water. I wondered why he was even out on the sea at all since he hated it so much. And Genji was definitely made of bigger things than me. I could see it in his clean fingernails and soft hands and the way he looked down on me.

We were led to a different room. I took a deep breath and tried on my new uniform. The top was maroon and bulky, which I counted as a good thing since it hid my chest even more. The pants, baggy and black with a maroon, cloth belt and ankle cuffs, were tight around the butt, so I was a little cursed in that aspect. Not many guys had butts like a girl.

The shoes were black and pointy with maroon decals which matched the wrist cuffs. They also matched the tie that went around the topknot on the top of my head. The tight hairstyle made my cheekbones look more severe, like a skinny, starved kid of the streets. Which was what I was trying for.

Kojo and I walked out at the same time. He gave me a crooked grin and his eyes were mischievous. The way he held his face made his freckles look almost like a tan against his pale skin. I figured we'd be getting into a lot of trouble together if that look told me anything.

"Follow me," Genji sighed. He definitely wasn't happy with his new position, it was obvious. He was attractive for a nobleman, though. Bright green eyes with thick brown hair cut shapely and smoothed back on his head. He had these awful sideburns but I figured that they wouldn't last. He was around my real age, I figured, and I would have taken interest in him if he'd lived in Jang Hui. But that was the thing—he wouldn't have been there, and, if he had, he wouldn't be the same man. He would have been one of the dirty boys I'd had no interest in settling down with.

He led us down a maze of hallways and stairs in the hold. The hold (AKA the generic name for everything underneath the deck) was _huge—_I had no clue how I'd ever figure out how to navigate it. Finally he led us to what I assumed was the largest room in the hold—it seemed like it spanned the entire ship. Triple bunk-beds lined up in perfect order up and down, four columns of them and dozens of rows, it looked like. Each bed was perfectly made up in plain black and white bedding and each had a small personal crate or chest under it.

Genji led us to the back of the spacious cavern where there was room for at least four more bunks. Then he strung up our hammocks for us and handed us two tin trays. "This is where the Enlisted men stay. Officers are housed in the main enclosure on deck. These are your mess kits. Take them with you when you get food or you won't receive any."

I sat my small bag of supplies down in my hammock and looked around. I didn't have a place I could lock up my meager belongings or store anything I would get in the future. Also, a bunk with a real mattress was a lot different than a hammock! "Do we get bunks or chests later on?"

Genji sighed and leaned against one of the beds. "You'll get a bed when you turn sixteen. As for the sea chest, you can order one after the first payday. We'll take a percentage of your pay every month to pay for it."

I didn't think that was fair. Then again, I'd never really been paid before. I was sure that even a little bit of what I would earn would be more than I'd had all my life. Even having my own hammock was like heaven because it was _mine_.

"Is it time for food yet?" Kojo asked, holding his stomach. "I'm starved!" My stomach growled, too, and I realized that I hadn't had a real meal in... _I can't even remember when I last ate more than berries and nuts!_

"Yes," Genji said in an irritated voice. He was a very gloomy man. I didn't even think thank I'd seen him smile. "Follow me." I had a feeling that he'd be saying that a lot.

Memorizing how to get from the living quarters to the mess hall was going to be like showing emotion in front of Koh. Still, we went in and got in line with the rest of the men on second shift. There were three shifts—each eight hours long and you were assigned to one of them. One was the graveyard shift—midnight to eight in the morning. I was on second shift, eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. Third shift was four in the afternoon until midnight. It didn't matter what else you did with your time, but they recommended sleep. If you were an officer, a specialist like Doctor or Quartermaster, or a minor, you had extra duties. I didn't know what mine were yet, but I was sure I'd figure them out pretty soon.

Genji told us all of this as we waited in line. I observed the room and kind of tuned him out after a while. His monotone words were wearing on my ears. It was large, not as big as the living quarters but still large. It held dozens of long, metal picnic tables and every single one of them was full. The men around me were eating like rooster-pigs. Not even using utensils, they just shoved food in their mouths. I found it a little disgusting in all honesty. Still, I had to watch and study them. I had to act like them if I wanted to come off as one of them.

We got to the front of the line. Kojo and I only got a small ration, while Genji got a full ration, but it was still more food than I ever ate in one sitting. There was a biscuit, some kind of meat, and what looked like rice and potatoes.

I stared at it for a moment while we were sat down. Everyone else was eating, but I was just staring, unable to believe that I got fed, a place to sleep, _and _got paid. My stomach actually _hurt _ looking at all of the food in front of me and I wondered if I'd even be able to finish it.

"There a problem?" Genji asked. He looked uncomfortable sitting with the enlisted men. He looked at the food like it was disgusting.

I shook my head and clasped my hands in front of me. "No. Just...never had this much food before." I closed my eyes and leaned my head down. "Spirits, thank you for this meal. Thank you for giving me the chance to join the United Forces and avenge my family. I will bring honor to my name. In Agni's name."

When I looked up and started to take my first bite, I noticed everyone's eyes at the table on me. Genji looked sad for me. Kojo looked confused. A few other men just glared at me and continued eating. Most ate with their hands and didn't bother using the few utensils we'd been giving. In fact, most of them didn't even have them.

I stuffed part of the biscuit in my mouth and pushed my utensils to the side. _Act like a man. Eat like the rest of them. _ It was still bugging me that some of them were giving me strange looks."What?"

Kojo shook his head and continued eating. "Nothin'. Just strange to hear a prayer, is all."

My mother had brought me up to respect and always give thanks to the spirits. I realized that not everyone had gotten the same lectures as a kid and quite a few people rather disliked Spirits. "What's wrong with a prayer? I should give thanks because this is the most I've had my entire life." _Besides my family. I don't have them anymore._

Genji gave me this guilty/pitiful look that twisted a knot in my stomach. Not enough to stop me from eating, as my last meal had been a few roots and berries much too long ago, but enough to slow me down. "Really? This is the most food you've had?"

"In one sitting, yeah." I looked down at my plate and was again very grateful for what I'd been given. "It's really difficult to believe that I'm here right now."

An old man next to me threw a hand against my back. "Don't worry, kiddo. You'll get used to it." The same hand was held out for me to shake. "Name's Zargo. Welcome aboard, ship's boy. It's good to have another believer amongst us. Don't let the rest of the crew deter you from your prayers. They'll help on the bad days and you'll appreciate them on the good."

I figured I'd have to get used to being called that for a while. "Thanks, Zargo. I wasn't planning on stopping." He had a white beard that almost touched the table but his head was hairless. Light, crinkling hazel eyes looked at me under his bushy brows. His face was tanned and wrinkled like a map but tight like leather. If my grandfather had had a kind face, I would have pictured it like Zargo's. He radiated pure Fire Nation power.

Kojo was almost done with his food when I looked back over to him. He really was a cute kid with those bright blue eyes. _Water Tribe eyes. _ He was licking his calloused fingers and he looked at Genji with a strange face. "Where's the rest of the officers like you? You are an officer, right?"

Genji threw his nose in the air. "Of course I am! We usually don't eat with the crew."

I frowned. "You should." I could already tell that he thought that he was better than me...and better than everyone who was in the mess at the moment. I'd had enough of that when I'd been a girl. "You'll get to know them better." _And me._

"Well, don't get used to me being here. As soon as you know your way around, I'll be back in the officer's mess in the tower on deck." He picked up his fork with food on it and the mush he'd created fell back to his mess tray. "This food isn't really to my standard."

I had been stuffing my face when I heard him say that. I swallowed and gave him a disbelieving glare. "Any food is good food, Genji. Where I come from, we don't waste a single grain of rice because someone else we knew could be starving at that very moment. So you'd better eat all of that and be happy about it."

Zargo glanced over to me with amusement in his eyes. Kojo looked shocked, his face stuffed like a chipsquirrel's. And Genji just looked guilty and a little embarrassed if his red ears had anything to say about it. I blushed too, realizing that my mothering tone had come out in that small speech. I just took a chunk out of my biscuit and chewed on it angrily.

Genji cleared his throat and took another bite. While he didn't seem happy about it, he didn't complain about the food any longer. Nor did he make the disgusted faces anymore. "I'm sorry, Huo. It was wrong of me to shame this food when others don't have much." He cleared his throat and then his eyes narrowed dangerously-he had a commanding aura about him suddenly that I'd never seen. My opinion of changed just slightly. "In the future, though, I warn you against using that tone against an officer. It's little things like that that can put you in the brig for a few days."

I dry swallowed my food and nodded. The last thing that I needed was to get put in a brig, watched twenty-four-seven, and get discovered for being a girl. "Yes sir."

He nodded seriously and then put his fork down. Then he picked up a napkin that had been lying on his lap and dabbed at his mouth delicately. Kojo snickered under his breath and Zargo huffed irately. "Starting tomorrow, Kojo, you'll join your father in his office during your shift. And you, Huo, you'll be tested."

_"Tested?" _My voice squeaked and I coughed a little on the food I'd choked on.

"Firebending, fighting, and basic knowledge of the Fire Nation. If you're to be the General's second, you'll have to have basic knowledge of it all. He can't just take _anyone_."

_Now is not the time to panic. _I took a few deep breaths and didn't notice how hard my hands were balled into fists until I released them and there was blood on my nails. "I was never taught anything! What happens in these tests?"

Genji sat up straight, like a perfect soldier. His maroon suit top gleamed with a few medals I'd never noticed before. "I've seen plenty of boys take them, but most don't pass. They become Cook's Helpers or swabbers. Usually they involve bending. Each General has his own second, you know. I, for one, can't be General Iroh's second. I'm an Earthbender. Each General takes a bender of his or her bending ability."

Zargo snorted. "Don't let him fool you, Huo. Genji took the test with the General of the Third Division. He fell flat on his face and made to mold the deck back into its original position after he mauled the Koh out of it! Don't worry though, son, not everyone remembers it that well. It's been, what, seven years now? And they saw your Metalbending abilities while you fixed the deck and you got an officer's position out of it after you turned sixteen so you have nothing to be ashamed of."

The furious blush on Genji's face was the third emotion I'd seen from him. Normal human beings showed more than that in two minutes of conversation. "The point is, Huo, that the tests are difficult and not everyone passes!"

I'd thought that he was one, an Earthbender. He had this aura around him that just screamed _bender. _Kojo had it, too, but he hadn't said anything about it. Zargo had a heart of fire that burned so bright that it made me want to weep. In just that room, I felt dozens of auras. For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by benders who could teach me so, so much. And, while I was nervous for these _tests_, I couldn't wait to get started.

I ate my last bite of food and told myself that tomorrow would be fine. _Let's just hope that everything I've learned so far will be enough. Then again, if I become the General's second, I may be discovered. We have met before, though if he remembers one ignorant peasant I'll be unlucky. Let's hope he doesn't._


	7. Tan-Eyed Ship's Boy

**This chapter (and story) was inspired by Jessie J's "Do It Like a Dude".**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Tan-Eyed Ship's Boy<strong>

_I can do it like a brother, do it like a dude_

_Grab my crotch, wear my hat low like you_

"I want to know who decided that I was to take in a new ship's boy!"

Iroh stared down his officers and adviser the next morning. Breakfast was seared giant koi and eggs benedict with some kind of butternut stickybun. He hardly touched the bun as sweets weren't his favorite. Still, food was hardly on his mind while his officers were picking and choosing his second for him.

"It was I, General." Lieutenant Roade cleared his throat and put his fork down. Iroh felt irate but let his man speak. "It's been so long since you lost your last boy, I thought—"

"You thought that a street urchin would fill the spot of my noble second?" He knew that he was sounding more like a Prince instead of a General, but his heart hurt. The last ship's boy he'd had had been taken down by the Equalists. The last thing he needed was to lose another one. He took a moment of silence to remember Shiji and how he had been...not how Iroh had last seen him, broken and powerless.

"It's time, my Prince." The man just bowed his head and refused to say anymore. There was an uncomfortable silence for much too long.

Hamin cleared his throat and delicately hit his knife against his cup. "Alright, enough of this. The child has yet to pass the tests, so it hardly matters. Let us move on. The next order of business is training. We need to make a stop by Kyoshi Island to pick up our last Master. In the meantime, it is as usual on board. Iroh, you need to choose your main Firebenders and put an officer in charge of teaching your new men the way of the ship."

Iroh sat down and put his napkin on his lap. Going through the motions seemed to help him relieve some anger at the predicament. As a general, he needed to learn his cabinet members were there to help him, even if he was in charge. Getting his way all his life made that a little hard to understand, but not impossible. So he took a deep, calming breath as his grandfather had taught him and took a bite of eggs. "Of course. Set sail for Kyoshi. Captain Oishi, you're in charge of teaching the new men their seafaring ways."

"Yes, sir!"

"Anything else?" the Prince asked, actually daring anyone else to say anything. He wasn't really in the mood for more of his men telling him what was _best_ for _him_.

"Those are all the pressing matters," Hamin said with a dainty dab of a napkin to his mouth. His harsh avian features did nothing to belay his perfect etiquette. "If all is finished, we are set to depart for second shift."

The entire table rose the, saluting Iroh and turning their chairs in. It would take a while for him to get used to that, but if felt good. It was something he had _earned, _not something that he had been given. He had a lot to live up to and he was going to do the position proud.

Iroh continued eating and thought long and hard about getting a new ship's boy. He'd let himself get too close to the other. Never having had siblings, the boy had become like a little brother. A friend he wanted to protect with his life. In all honesty, his second was supposed to protect him. Not the other way around. When he'd lost Shiji, he'd lost the will to take another child on as his protege. Every Admiral and General was expected to do so, but... He sighed and put down his fork. He suddenly wasn't hungry anymore.

"Sire, if it pleases you," Hamin said from behind him, "it's time to meet your new ship's boy. Clean, clothed, fed, and ready to be tested."

He remembered back onto the face he'd seen. Covered in dirt and soot, the boy had looked brown in color. The only thing remarkable had been those strangely tan eyes... _"Call me a fox, for that is all I am to you." _But he shook his head. This boy was not Little Fox, obviously. Still, the resemblance was striking.

He told himself he'd remember those tan eyes...and he hadn't forgotten.

**HHH**

"RISE AND SHINE, LADIES!"

My hammock twisted and I was pushed out and onto the cold, _very hard_ metal ground. Kojo met the same fate. I looked up to see some teenager standing above me with a rougish smirk. My body's internal clock told me that it wasn't even sunrise yet. "Agni _damn_, it's not even sunrise!"

"The early rabbit-bird gets the worm," the boy said with a wink. He was a light brunette, almost like yellow but not quite there. His eyes were the same color and he had almost as many freckles as Kojo. "Name's Li, Able-Bodied Non-Bender and in charge of waking you lilly-livers up. So get to the showers, head, and eat some food because it's going to be a long day, runts!"

_Runt? _I thought bitterly as I rubbed my head where I'd hit it on the floor. _I'm not that short... _And then something hit me.

_Head? As in restroom? _I was a girl...I didn't use a restroom like a boy. So, if I used the same restroom as them... I blanched and realized that I _really _needed to use the restroom! I hadn't gone since lunchtime the day before and my bladder was suddenly reminding me of that fact.

I got up and ran to the head before anyone else could get there. Luckily, I'd gotten a little tour the night before and I just so happened to remember how to get there. I ran through the doors and saw line after line of seats on a lifted ridge in the back of the room. I ran up to one and looked down—below was the sea. Nothing was private...and I was in a pickle.

No one was in there yet. Most were probably taking a shower or running to the mess first. Not willing to be caught so early in my ruse, I hopped on the toilet and went as fast as I could. A few men came in and left in that time, but my hands and long shirt were covering my lap, so I was safe. I tried not to look at them. My face was on _fire. _

I did try to see what they did in the restroom, though. They went and then did a little shake before putting themselves back in their pants. I didn't see anything though...I tried to tell myself that, at least.

As soon as I was alone, I hopped down and pulled everything back up. Then I ran to wash my hands and ran back to my room. I had to make sure that I was well fed and looked perfect for my tests—I didn't need to just be nervous about passing as a boy anymore. Who knew what would happen to me if I didn't pass?

My uniform on and mostly wrinkle-free, I ran to the mess hall and pulled my hair up at the same time. _Men spend more time on their appearance than I ever used to, _I thought wryly. I was just sitting down to eat when I realized that I didn't know anyone around me.

All of them were older and were giving me strange looks. Like I didn't belong there or something. I gave a quick prayer under my breath and got even more looks. I just ate the wonderful food put in front of me and tried not to make eye contact with them for as long as possible. That was when a familiar face sat down across from me.

"Hey, kid, how're you faring?'

I let out a breath of relief and smiled at the old man. "Zargo! Not bad, yourself?"

"Full of life! Can't say that for most of the men on board." He pointed to the rest of the men around us. I realized that the men hadn't been giving me weird looks—most of them looked _sick_. Half looked green in the face. Most of them really didn't even have food in front of them. They couldn't look at me as I was eating. "Yep, this always happens. Half the men get sick the first night. Sometimes it lasts a week, the seasickness."

I sent up a prayer to the spirits that I wasn't sick like everyone else. I didn't need one more reason to fail my tests later. "I'm lucky, I guess."

"Strong gut's what ya got!" The old man laughed and wiped a tear from his eye. "Yep, I don't feel for these guys one bit." He slapped a teenager on the back who was sitting next to him. The kid held in some vomit and ran from the room. Just like that I wasn't completely hungry anymore. That didn't keep me from finishing my food, but it slowed my gusto. I wasn't one to waste food. "You'll do fine today, though. Hope you aren't too worried."

I swallowed my food and thought about what kinds of tests I would be put through. "I just...it isn't fair, y'know? Life isn't fair, but what's bad is that I've never been taught anything. How am I supposed to take a test on a subject I've never been taught?"

"You'd be surprised what you know." Zargo's finger was suddenly in the middle of my forehead. I opened my eyes and looked straight into his hazel ones. "Trust me, kid. I've been alive long enough to tell you that you're smarter than you think." His tanned, mapped face seemed to tell me to trust him.

I nodded seriously. "Of course. I'll do my best!"

Just as I was finishing my meal, a bell sounded. I looked to Zargo who simply said, "Changing of shifts!" I nodded and scarfed down the last of my food. It didn't take long to clean my mess kit, put it away, and follow Zargo up the the deck.

There, I could see dozens of men practicing with one another. Usually they were in groups of four—one Firebender, Waterbender, Earthbender, and non-bender. Others were practicing with their own kind, learning moves that I'd never thought of doing. And yet others were working the ship itself. Zargo, apparently, was an engineer. He patted me on the back and left to go work on the engines.

I wasn't sure what to do, so I went and stood next to another Firebender who looked new. I knew he was a Firebender because he wore maroon and his aura practically screamed it. He looked down at me with a stink eye before returning to doing what I assumed was nothing. In fact, though, he was watching the men practicing. I decided to do the same.

One group of Firebenders was practicing a move that looked way too difficult for me. I only hoped that _that _wasn't what Iroh was going to put me through. One man had arms of fire that turned into tentacles, flying in the air and snapping at the other. The other skated away on fire skis in a way that was much faster and more graceful than anything I could accomplish.

"There you are!" I started and looked up into a pair of molten golden eyes. Iroh was already frowning—that couldn't be good. He grabbed my arm and pulled me over to the front of the ship, away from all of the men practicing. Then I was forcefully pushed away from the General. "Where in Koh's name have you been?"

I blinked up to the man and partially wanted to cower but partially wanted to snap back. Instead I bit my tongue. Genji had said that my tone could get me thrown in the brig for a few days. I breathed like Mother used to tell me and looked into Iroh's eyes again. "I-I apologize, General. I wasn't sure what to do, so I decided to observe the Firebenders. I didn't know that so much could be done with bending!"

He looked star-struck for just a moment before he shook his head to snap out of it. Then he was back to his normal, stoic look that looked neither approving nor unhappy. "Well from now on, you will be at the door to my quarters _before _the second bell. You'll get away with it today, but in the future, there will be a punishment."

I nodded. _At least he's fair. _"Yes sir!"

The Prince stared at me for a moment, not saying anything. I prayed to the Spirits that my uniform was correct and that I hadn't gotten anything on my face when eating. He simply just shook his head again and pulled something out of his pocket. "Before you become my second, you must first pass a series of tests. Your first is this: keep the fire from consuming this leaf."

My first thought was, _Where did he get a leaf at in the middle of the ocean? _My second was, _I actually know how to do this! _And last was, _How long is he going to make me sit here and do this? _I took the leaf and sat. He touched one finger to the center of the leaf and let it start to burn. I controlled the flame and closed my eyes.

"Not even a complaint?" he asked with a strange tone to his voice.

I shook my head but didn't open my eyes. "The first steps to Firebending are breathing, meditating, and patience. My mother used to make me do this when I tried her patience. I had to learn some, too."

There was silence for a while. Finally, he said, "Good. I'll be back for you at the ringing of the next bell."

I tensed only a little and lost concentration for only a moment. _I have to sit here for eight hours? The longest I've done this is three! _Still, I took a deep breath and didn't say anything. Instead I focused all of my energy on keeping the fire from completely destroying the leaf. I let myself get lost in the flow of energy through me, in the feel of the leaf in my hands, and in the swaying of the ship beneath me.

I was finally going to learn Firebending...even if it meant keeping a leaf from burning to a crisp for eight hours first.

**III**

Iroh took a few steps away and simply observed the boy sitting at the prow of his ship. Now that he was clean, his skin was actually pretty pale. Especially for a commoner. He was incredibly scrawny, which made sense, him being a peasant and all. It made Iroh feel just a little guilty for making the kid miss lunch. Still, it was the first of many tests that the boy had to get through and Iroh was sure that this wouldn't be the first meal he'd ever missed.

There were two things that surprised him—one was that the kid didn't even complain when given the boring, tedious mission of keeping a _leaf _from burning. Every man, woman, or child he'd practiced with or had taught had practically spit on the leaves they'd been given. It had been 'beneath' them. Then again, everyone he knew who had gone through the challenge had been nobles or higher. Never had he trained someone—or trained _with _someone—as low in the hierarchy as the boy sitting in front of him.

The other thing that surprised him were the boy's eyes. He still couldn't get the girl from Jang-Hui's frightened eyes out of his mind. The way she'd fought against him, desperate, trying to destroy the men who'd hurt her family...he still had nightmares from the dead civilians surrounding him. He kept seeing pictures of his men's faces who had sacrificed their lives to protect the innocents of the village.

But, once again, this boy wasn't that girl. If anything, they were somehow related, but even that was a far shot. Rather than think on that anymore, Iroh decided to make up a few more tests for the boy. He was interested to see what the boy would take before he started to snap.

**III**

Eight hours later and the boy hadn't moved from his spot. Iroh was actually impressed—even he would have lost concentration around six hours or so. He was even more impressed when he stepped up to the boy and saw that the flame he'd put on the leaf hadn't burned more than a half a centimeter out from its original position.

"Huo," he said, trying not to let the tone show how impressed he actually was. The kid didn't open his eyes so Iroh bent down and gently jostled his shoulder. "Hey, Huo, your time is up."

The boy jumped and the leaf turned to ash beneath his hands. His panicked eyes turned calm only for a moment before he realized that his leaf was gone. "G-General, I'm so sorry! It was alright just a second ago—"

"You're fine, you passed." He found the boy's nervousness endearing. "You were doing some serious meditating, there."

Huo blushed and stood up shakily. His legs had probably fallen asleep. "Yeah, I like to meditate during that exercise. It keeps me from burning too much of the leaf during long periods of time. Also keeps me from falling asleep." The shit-eating grin on his face made Iroh smile a little, too.

Iroh wasn't as tuned in to the Spirit World as his grandfather, but he could definitely tell that this boy was connected mentally and physically. Whether or not _he _knew it, well, that was another question. "You did well. You're welcome to go and grab some dinner, a shower, and some sleep. The next few tests won't be as easy."

Just as he'd taken the leaf without complaint, the boy just nodded. He knew he had a long road coming.


	8. Orange Plumes

**Chapter 8: Orange Plumes**

_I'm burnin' up!_

_Come put me out, come and put me out!_

I _knew _that this had been coming, but, in the past week, all I'd been doing was meditating and running menial errands for the officers. I'd done a lot of sitting and breathing. _A lot._ From cleaning, to sitting for four hours to watch practices, to running between officers and delivering letters, I'd never actually gotten to _Firebend. _Now was my chance to prove myself!

Genji and a few other Lieutenants, all younger, sat to the side to watch. He held that I'm-better-than-this look in his eyes. Then again, he _always _had that look in his eyes. Kojo was standing there, too, as his dad had given him the day off. Li was sitting up on some rope hanging from the crow's nest and grinning down at me.

I had to take a deep breath and widen my stance as Zargo stepped in front of me. He was going to be my trainer for the day. Iroh told me that different kinds of men practiced Firebending differently—learning the raw, unfettered form of Firebending before the more elegant form was easier for beginners.

Zargo punched one hand out, then brought it back, over the other which was bent at a fourty-five degree angle. I did the same. Next, he brought both around to the opposite side, took a step forward, and punched out with the bent arm, sending a bright plume of flame out. I did the same and was delighted to see the bright fire that erupted from my own hand.

I jumped in the air and shouted, "Yeah, that was awesome!"

Zargo just smiled and pulled both feet together. "Get ready, laddie! We're going to learn a new one and then go back, and so on and so forth until you _hate_ that move."

I wanted to tell him that I would _never _hate any kind of Firebending but I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew. Rather, I put my feet together and followed the old man's move. This one was more streamline, rather than steps. He pulled one arm back and straightened the other while picking his leg up and kicking out a bright flame at the same time.

Keeping balance while a large, moving flame came out of your foot was more difficult than standing with both feet planted and punching it. I flew back and into a stack of cargo boxes. The men laughed but Iroh just calmly said, "Again."

I got up, ignoring the bruises already forming on my back, and moved through the movements a few times This time, I didn't let the chi burn through my body, I just went through the set. Over and over until I thought I could do it. Then I stood there and took a deep breath. When I opened my eyes, I went through the set one more time and a bright plume erupted from my foot.

Genji looked grudgingly impressed. Kojo was staring with bright, wonder-filled eyes. Li just hung there with that shit-eating grin on his face. Iroh was the one who, with his same, neutral look on his face, broke the silence. "Good. Back to the first move."

I went back and forth between the two moves until my arms ached and my thighs burned. Iroh gave me a few tips here and there, telling me to widen my stance or keep my arms up. I didn't complain even though sweat was dripping in my eyes and I felt like I was about to collapse.

"Alright," Iroh said after a few more rounds of torture on my muscles. "I'll show you the last two moves in the set."

Iroh resumed the end position from the last move before he turned, lifting a foot up and pulling fire practically from the ground. That foot arced around as his body turned full circle, puling in his right arm and punching out the left to send the arc of fire out into a destructive wave of flames.

He was so elegant that it took me a second to shake off my awe (and slight arousal) and clear my throat. Rather than use chi, I went through the movements and practiced them a few times. Iroh once again gave me a few tidbits and even stepped up to kick my feet further apart and hold my leg higher than it should have been able to go. I winced as he pulled on the abused muscle but otherwise kept performing.

"Try it with fire, this time," he said, standing in front of me. "And shoot it at me."

I stopped in my tracks and stared wide-eyed at my commanding officer. "What? No!"

His chastising glare made me feel a little guilty. "Huo, I'm a Master Firebender. I think I can defend myself from your attack."

The blush on my face rivaled the fire of embarrassment in my stomach. "O-okay." I followed through with the move and was impressed to see the large arc of flame turn into an impressive wall before I pushed it towards Iroh.

Iroh, both hands out, pulled the fire into his body before splitting it and throwing both arms behind his back, throwing it to the metal behind him. I stared in awe once more. He moved through the steps and looked at me knowingly. I quickly followed suit.

_This is everything I've ever wanted, _I reminded myself as my entire body burned with exhaustion as time went on. Lieutenants went to mess, Kojo had fallen asleep, and even Li had disappeared up into the crow's nest. Iroh was still there, though. He'd dismissed Zargo hours before.

_My bending is all I have left. _I bent walls of fire and plumes of flame from my hands and feet for what felt like eternity, but it was an immense relief, in all honesty. For nineteen years I'd kept all of that fire pent up. I wasn't going to complain one _bit_ for the predicament I'd gotten _myself _into.

_This is everything I ever wanted._

_My bending is all I have left._

_I am more than who I was!_

_I can become more. _

_I _am _more._


	9. Green Leaves from the Vine

**Thanks to everyone who has kept up with me and reviewed and favorited! I love hearing from all of you and seeing those emails pop into my mailbox. Let me know if you have any questions or comments!**

**-LCB**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9: Green Leaves from the Vine<strong>

Iroh watched as his young ship's boy kicked two fire blasts toward one of three of the prince's young lieutenants. The man raised his arms in protection but he was still sent flying and crashed to the cold, hard metal ground. As Huo landed, the two other men simultaneously shot fire streams at the young, agile boy. Huo was engulfed in a ball of flames but he dissipated the fire by moving his hands in a circular motion and breaking the flow of chi.

The Prince smiled. _He's learning remarkably well. We just started learning that defensive move last week. Considering he's only been learning Firebending for a month..._

As Huo took on a fighting stance again, one of the Lieutenants advanced, shooting three fire blasts in rapid succession. Huo effortlessly dodged the first one, dissipated the second with a grunt, dodged the third, and rushed forward. When the man jumped up and sent two fire arcs in his direction, Huo tumbled underneath the flames and extended his leg, throwing the older man off balance. He flipped over several times and crashed to the ground, but Iroh had trained him well, too, and the Lieutenant stood up right away.

Huo, now in between two of Iroh's best Lieutenants, caught the fire stream of the man in front of him head on while also kicking back the guy that was charging from behind, knocking him down. Retaliating with fire blasts of his own, Huo managed to knock down the man in front. _Point for Huo_. Quickly turning back and forth to defend himself against incoming fire blasts from both men, Huo powered up his own attack and fired it at the man in front of him, sending the lieutenant flying all the way up to the crow's next where he stayed, smoking a little once he was stationary.

The other man, stunned by his comrade's inpromptu flight, stared up to the crow's nest and didn't see Huo's fist coming straight at him. He was thrown against the side of the ship, completely unconscious. There was silence except for Huo's hard breathing for a moment, and then...

Iroh's second jumped excitedly in the air and threw some unnecessary fire bursts up. "Woo-hoo! That was _awesome!_"

Even Iroh was impressed. He clapped and gave out a whistle. "Huo, that was great! Your stance could be a bit better, but—"

"It was perfect and you know it," the cheeky young boy said with a little bit of blush on his cheeks. He wasn't used to getting complimented by Iroh. "So, what's next?" His tan eyes were alight with adrenaline and excitement still.

The General stood up and looked at the position of the sun. It was almost time for dinner—time had really gotten away from him. He put a hand to his second's sweaty head and rustled his messy bun. "Dinner time and then music night!"

The scowl that distorted the younger male's face surprised him. "Aw man, come on, Iroh, I'm doing great! We can't stop now!" Huo picked up his fists in front of his face and jabbed out a few punches. "Come on, let's go a round, you and me!"

Iroh actually laughed for the first time in a long time. "Hah, that's funny, kid. You aren't ready to face a Master yet." Actually his back was still aching a little from the hit he'd taken during their fire dagger fight a few days ago. They had been practicing fire blades—thin streams of concentrated fire that were used like daggers. The kid had actually gotten in a good hit but hadn't turned off his blade of fire in time. Iroh wouldn't admit that to Huo, though.

The lip Huo put out almost made him look cute. "Then teach me the advanced set! Defensive moves and the basics will only get me so far. How am I supposed to protect you if I don't know what I'm gonna be up against? As your second, it's an obvious choice."

_He has a point. _Iroh sighed and pushed the kid towards the hold. "Fine. Starting tomorrow, you'll learn the advanced set. Go get a shower and some food. If I don't see you at music night, you're in trouble, you hear me?"

"Awesome! _Advanced set, here I come!_" Huo gave an almost girlish squeal and rushed into the depths of the ship. Iroh just shook his head and actually _smiled _for the first time in a while. He was getting used to having another ship's boy. And the kid wasn't half bad, he had to admit.

He walked towards the officers mess and sighed. Now he just had to retrain his Lieutenants because obviously they were getting their asses kicked out there by a little kid! Besides that, it was a kid _who only knew the basics. _He hoped that that didn't say anything about his old training style.

**HHH**

I liked getting out of practice early because that meant that there was enough time for me to run to the restroom, take a shower, and get out before any other men were there for the change of shift. Still, I double checked and always set up my trap—just a little wedge of wood that I shoved under the door to keep it closed. While it wouldn't keep out someone forever, it gave me a few extra seconds to cover up and pretend like the door had gotten stuck. I used it for the restroom, too, because sometimes a girl's just gotta go and ten seconds on the toilet isn't quite long enough.

I raced through dinner, extremely excited to get to music night and show off my lute skills. Then, bed, because the sooner I went to sleep, the sooner I'd be able to practice the _advanced set! _Some of the other men weren't as excited as I was about music night. Apparently it was a mandatory event and every crew member had to learn an instrument. Or sing.

As much as I wanted to sing, I didn't exactly have a low singing voice. My mother used to call me _songbird _when I was little because I could sing up to the skies like them. She called it _soprano _or something like that. I just liked playing and singing and being with her.

The small memory, while it made my heart clench, also made me smile. Her memory was starting to hurt less and make me remember more. That was how it was supposed to happen...it had just taken a while for me.

I saw Genji sitting stiffly over by a few other Lieutenants. The ones I had beaten that morning, actually. They all looked a little worse for wear and eyed me warily when I walked up to them. "I come in peace," I joked. They just threw me shade and left, leaving me alone with a disgruntled-looking Lieutenant Genji. I poked him in the side and he grimaced. "What's wrong with you, Mr. Grump?"

He scooted away from me and cradled his ribs. "Just a little sore from practice. A boulder to the ribs is a little worse than fire." He glanced over his shoulder at the other Lieutenants and chuckled a little before holding his fist out to me. I bumped it with a smirk. "Good job on that, by the way. Iroh chewed them out at dinner."

_If only they knew I was a girl, _I thought with an even wider grin on my face. "Well, y'know, getting beat up by a kid who only knows the basics...that's pretty bad."

"Yeah." Genji's mood dropped again. Everyone else on board seemed pretty happy but he was still moping. "I really don't like music night."

I blinked a few times. It made sense, in all honesty. Genji was all straight-laced and proper, but music was _wild. _Music changed keys and jumped octaves and didn't take direction from anyone other than the composer or the player. And that didn't fit in with his style.

"Can't play?" I finally asked.

"Tone deaf, actually."

"Well, can you at _least _keep a beat?" He nodded and I pointed to the box beneath him. "Pound on that like a drum when someone's playing. It'll give a good _boom._" Just then I saw Iroh calling me over. I said goodbye to Genji and ran over to the general. "Yes sir?"

I'd never seen Iroh look so..._I don't know, relaxed? _Yeah, relaxed was a good term. His eyes looked merry and he was dressed down for a change. Just a simple black cotton shirt that clung to his wide chest and a pair of maroon training pants. Even his feet were bare, which I was sure I'd never see again. "What do you play?"

_Another test? _I wondered hesitantly. It couldn't be that difficult though, so I said, "I can play the lute pretty well, I guess."

"Here." He handed me a beautiful, well-oiled lute seemingly out of nowhere. Like he knew that I played. It was probably one of the most gorgeous instruments I'd ever laid my eyes on.

I caressed the neck and thumbed the strings, glad to hear them well-tuned and ready to go. "I, ah..." I couldn't meet his eyes because mine were watering up. I cleared my throat. "Thank you, sir." _It's like the one my mother used to have._

A large hand slapped me on the back and I coughed from the roughness. "Not a problem, Huo. But this just means that you're gonna have to play something for us!_'_"

I looked up to see that many of the officers and enlisted men were sitting together. They were all scattered about, but everyone was drinking and playing and having a good time. When Iroh announced that I was playing something, though, all eyes went to me. I kind of froze up before Zargo, sitting a few crates away, yelled, "What're you gonna play for us, laddie?"

"Um..." I started just playing something, anything. If I was going to sing, I had to lower my voice, make myself sound like a boy. As I played the tune settled and then the lyrics clicked in my brain. I thought about my mother, my father, and all of the poor people who had been lost in the raid on Jang-Hui. "My, uh, my mom used to sing me this song. I guess it's a good song to sing now.

"_Leaves from the vine_

_Falling so slow_

_Like fragile, tiny shells_

_Drifting in the foam."_

Everyone else seemed to know the song. Those who could sing and knew the words continued with the second verse. Even Iroh, who I never thought I'd ever hear sing, was singing softly next to me. His voice was low and rich and sounded wonderful to my ears.

"_Little soldier boy _

_Come marching home_

_Brave soldier boy_

_Comes marching home."_

"That was beautiful, laddie," Zargo said, wiping a tear from his eye. "It takes a lot to make this old codger tear up!"

Li suddenly stood up from across the deck and said, "Alright, enough with the sad songs! Someone play me a jig!

_It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se,_

_But the girls in the city they look so pret-tay!_"

I laughed and handed my lute back to Iroh who was being suddenly very quiet. "Looks like Li's had a little to much to drink already."

"_They look so sweet that you've really got to meet,_

_The girls from Ba Sing Se!"_

"Hm. Yeah." A girl would have asked Iroh what was wrong. But, the longer that I pretended to be a boy, the more I realized about how men acted around each other. I just sat there and waited for him to tell me. "You know, I was named after my grandfather's uncle."

I nodded. "Yeah. The Dragon of the West, right?"

He gave an affirmative grunt and looked out at his men. All of them were laughing and having a good time...even Genji was giving off a smirk. _A smirk! _I'd never thought I'd see something like that from him. "My grandfather would tell me all of these amazing stories about him. From his times in the war to forming the White Lotus and helping the Avatar stop my great-grandfather from destroying the Earth Kingdom."

The words _great-grandfather _made my heart stop but only for a bit. I played off my small panic attack and laughed at Kojo performing some strange Water Tribe dance to the amusement of everyone, even Zargo. "I've only ever heard wonderful stories, sir."

"The one story that stuck with me the most was when my grandfather told me about Iroh wanting to start up music night on the ship." I looked over to see that the general's eyes were gleaming in amusement. "The old man wanted my grandfather to play the sumki horn—which is outrageous." He threw his hand towards one of the cooks who was bellowing away on the giant, obnoxious horn. "My grandfather eventually picked it up later, after Iroh died. But I wanted the story to live on. So I started up music night on all of my ships."

Getting to know Iroh always proved interesting. He gave off this rather bland outward appearance of _General_ when in all honesty he loved to play music, laugh, and be normal like the rest of us every so often. "I think that's great. Everyone's enjoying it!" I was going to say more but a sharp pain hit me in the abdomen. I sucked air in through my teeth and put a hand over—

My eyes widened and I almost freaked out right then and there. Iroh finally looked at me from the corner of his eye. "You alright?"

_No, no, no, no, this can't be happening! _"Um, I...ah, I don't think dinner is sitting so good. I'm gonna..." Nausea flew through my body and I got a little dizzy. "I don't feel well. I'm gonna check in for the night."

Iroh's concerned eyes met mine. "Are you sure?"

I nodded and bolted for the hull. I ran into the bed quarters and grabbed whatever cloth I could find. Then I ran to the restroom, stuck the wedge under the door, and dealt with the _one thing _that I cursed the Spirits for once every moon.

My moon's blood had come.

How in Koh's name could I have forgotten something so _crucial _to being a woman? It came every month like clockwork and I'd just played it off like it was never going to happen again. Well, there it was, punching me in the gut and proclaiming to the world, _Look, this here's a woman! _It was about two weeks late, which was strange, but I'd forgotten to keep track of it in my month-and-a-half on board.

I did what I normally did to my underwrappings every moon's blood and then sulked back to my hammock. I could already feel the cramps, swelling, and nausea that normally came along with the first day of the blood. If I could make it past the first day, I'd be fine...but there was no way around missing out on learning the advanced sets for the next day. _Shit._

**III**

In the month and a half that he'd been training Huo, the boy had never been late. Iroh had been worried during music night when Huo had said he hadn't been feeling well, but the prince had figured that it would blow over.

Now he was standing over a food-poisoned ship's boy who was puking his guts up in the infirmary. "Yeah, you sure look okay," the doctor had said when Iroh had walked in.

"I'll be fine," Huo said gently. His face was bloated and he looked so green that it made _Iroh _ill. "It was the cuttlefish. It always gets me!" The boy saw that Iroh was there and he paled and greened at the same time—a phenomenon Iroh would have to look into later. "General, I'm so sorry!"

Iroh just looked at his ship's boy and patted him on the head. "Get to feeling better, Huo. Just stay away from the cuttlefish and don't make this a regular thing and we'll be fine."

The boy nodded nervously. "O-of course, General. Now I'm just going to lie here in agony, if you don't mind." The prince bolted as soon as the boy started retching again.

It never occurred to him that no one else had gotten food poisoning.


	10. Red, Black, and White Warpaint

**Chapter 10: Red, Black, and White Warpaint**

One month and three weeks later, I was getting a little worried. My moon cycle was _three_ weeks late this time. Normally, that would mean that I was pregnant. But that was physically _impossible_. There had been plenty of times that I had prayed against having the blood, but I'd always wanted children and not having it meant problems with my girly bits.

Thankfully, we were nearing Kyoshi. Iroh had promised me some shore leave and I could definitely find a doctor to keep my secret and tell me what was wrong with me. Besides the sore muscles and the bruises and the burns, anyway. (And give me hints on how to get rid of the nausea, bloating, cramping, and how to hide the rags afterwards.)

"Here's your shore pay," Genji said, a salty tone in his voice. He gave me a small envelope and the weight of it made my eyes widen. I peeked and saw three hundred yuans. _Three hundred! That's like thirty golden dragons! _"Don't spend it all in one sitting."

I looked up to him and blinked. "How do I spend three hundred yuans in one sitting?!" It was more money than I'd ever seen! And this was just my _shore pay. _Which meant that it was half of my regular pay. Multiplying that by fifty-two had my brain doing backflips. _I could start a new life for myself with all of that money. I could help so many people..._

Genji was giving me that pitying/guilty look again. "Just...remember to have fun too, okay? Don't save it all, but don't spend it all either." I wanted to kiss him on the cheek but that was the girl side of me talking. So instead I punched his arm and gave him a knowing glance. He rolled his eyes. "Alright, enough loitering, Huo! Get going!"

I pocketed my money, just like all the other men on shore leave, and raced off of the boat. I hadn't really gotten the chance to look at another town besides Jang-Hui and Shu Jing, so Kyoshi was practically another planet. Even the fauna and flora were different—_was that an elephant koi fish?! _Dozens of men passed me as I stared at the ocean with a kind of glee that I hadn't felt in years.

I felt like a _kid _again. I had no worries, no problems, and everything was looking up for me. I turned away from the ocean and finally was ready to enter Kyoshi and spend a little of my hard-earned money on something special for me—something I'd never had before. Something that was _mine. _

The town was beautiful. It was clean, streamlined, and I didn't see a single poor person on the main road. What I did see, though, was a _Satomobile! _I'd only ever heard of one, so seeing one blew my mind. There were street lights and the sidewalks were paved. Everything was so beautiful!

I was so engrossed in the small island that I ran into something that didn't budge. Looking up from my position on the ground, I saw that I was looking into a pair of surprised brown eyes. The lady was wearing all green, her face covered in white, red, and black makeup that hid her age really well. Her eyes held at least three generations of knowledge. Her short, almost white hair was cut to a bob around her ears.

A small, knowing smile filled her face and I was filled with dread. "Well, well, well, what have we here, girls?"

While I had been busy staring at the old woman, a dozen of younger women had surrounded me, all in the same garb. Their golden headdresses and fans glinted from the sun as they circled closer in on me. I scrambled up, fearing that I'd broken some kind of don't-run-into-a-town-elder law. "I-I'm so sorry, my lady! Please forgive me!"

"Who're you calling a lady?" she asked with a laugh. I dared a peek up to see that her eyes were dancing with mischievousness, much like Kojo when he got into one of his moods. "My girls and I were just admiring the men of your ship when we noticed something a little off. About _you._"

I felt faint. The first time I'd seen women in almost three months and they figure me out in the first few _seconds_? I was _screwed _when the men joined the women in six months for land training! "I-I'm not sure what you're talking about. I-I'm just a ship's boy trying to spend some hard-earned money, is all."

The old woman gave me a pitying/knowing look and pulled out a fan. Then she pushed on my abdomen in a few places and put it back. "We both know that _that _is a lie. Now, come with us. We'll get you straightened up."

**HHH**

The old woman's name had been Suki, I figured out later. They'd taken me back to a secret training ground and let me change into clothes "befitting a woman." My breasts practically _screamed _in relief. I was going to cry when I had to tape myself down again later.

Some of the other girls put some of their makeup on me. Not full Kyoshi Warrior makeup, but enough to not make me look like Huo the ship's boy, but Huo the woman. A simple kimono and some sandals completed the look. I'd never felt better in my entire _life. _

Suki smiled at me from across the low bamboo table we shared with the other Kyoshi Warriors. They were all relatively young—thirteen to my age, from the looks of it. I found their culture fascinating and refreshing. "You look beautiful, child. May I ask your name?"

"Huo," I said simply, not even bothering to lie. I figured that she would have seen through me in an instant anyway. "Thank you for helping me. It is very difficult to live as a man."

She raised a thin, old eyebrow. "Oh? And why do you do that?"

I started nibbling on a piece of bread. I'd never thought through my answer to that question. _"Well, my great-grandfather was a traitor to Fire Lord Zuko and was banished, as were his kin. I couldn't tell them my real identity so I became a man and now serve his grandson." _That was the truth but I couldn't just out and _say _that. Rather, I said, "My family was killed by Equalists." The girls around the table gasped. "I was worried that they would find me, too. I was the one that got away. I wanted to learn how to protect myself so that I could..."

"Nevermind that, girl," Suki sighed, "I'm sorry I asked. You shouldn't have to explain yourself to me. I do want to know how you've fooled an entire boat of men into thinking that you're an adolescent boy, though."

I looked up to see that she seemed apologetic and curious at the same time. She was fanning herself with the same fan that she'd used to poke me earlier. "It wasn't easy! Men are weird."

The barking laugh she gave out surprised me. The other girls around the table were laughing, too. "You're telling us!" one said, wiping her eye free from the tears of laughter. Her makeup didn't smudge, I noticed. "If I hear one more seafaring man tell me, _'You're a woman! You can't fight!' _I swear I'll hit them in the family jewels."

The atmosphere lightened much more after that. I learned all about their order of warriors as dinner went on and I ate my fill of delicious foods a la Kyoshi Island. I was simply amazed that women were allowed to have such freedoms, such as fighting and leading, in a land not too far from my own home. I told them this and they nodded in sentiments.

"We wish that we could fix this outdated thinking," Suki said solemnly. "I personally have worked all over the world, trying to give women more rights. The Northern Water Tribe was especially difficult. I assume you were from the outskirts of the Fire Nation, then?"

I nodded. "Yes. My great-grandfather was very set in his ways. I was to clean the house and care for the animals. He tried to marry me off before he was..." I couldn't say the world. _Murdered._

One of the girls next to me held my hand and gave me a smile. I melted. It'd been so long since I'd had female companionship. It made tears come to my eyes and I couldn't help it when they fell. A few girls got up and wrapped their arms around me in a comforting embrace.

I realized that I'd never really grieved for my family. Even when my mother had died, I had had to move on, grow up, and leave weaknesses behind. I cried for losing my mother at twelve years old. I cried for having watched my father and great-grandfather killed right before my very eyes. And I just cried for the predicament I'd gotten myself into.

Suki finally pulled me to my feet and into a room off of that one. She sat me down and caressed a bruise that had formed along my jawline. "Huo, will you be okay? If you were to get caught..."

"I-I'll be fine." I took a deep breath and couldn't meet her eyes for a moment. "I just...it's been a while since I've had the company of other women. And I never really grieved for my family." I wiped my tears, careful not to smudge my eye makeup, and took a deep breath. "I'm okay, now."

Suki smiled in a motherly way, but I also sensed that she had never actually had children. If she had, then they were all grown up. Because her warriors were her children. "You're strong. I can see you completing your training and starting a new life elsewhere."

I looked around the beautiful room, out the window and to the sea, and could picture myself living in Kyoshi. I wouldn't even need to go back to the ship. I could stay a woman and Lu Huo would never be missed. But that was the coward's way out and I was _not _a coward. I would finish what I started. "Do you think I would be welcomed in Kyoshi one day?"

Suki nodded and smiled. "Of course. We welcome women from every background into the Warriors. As long as you are strong and willing to learn." I could tell that, even though she was old, she could kick me through a wall without breaking a sweat. But that she also wouldn't lie to me. "I may not be here when you decide it's your time, but the girls will welcome you all the same!"

A small smile adorned my lips. _This old woman has plenty more years left in her, I bet. _"Thank you, Suki." Then I remembered my problem from earlier. "Oh, Suki! I'm a little worried about something. Can I ask you a question?"

She nodded. "Anything, Huo. What's wrong?" I explained to her the situation with my moon's blood. She listened and then a small smirk appeared on her face. "Your body has lost a lot of fat and gained a lot of muscle in the past few months, no? This is just your body adjusting to a vigorous training lifestyle. Many of my girls go through the same problem. It will regulate eventually. For now, take it as a blessing from the Spirits. We don't want you to be found out just yet!" She flicked the tip of my nose.

I wished that I had met my grandmother. Even so, I figured that she would have been something like Suki. The old woman stiffened when I threw myself into her arms. "Thank you."

Soon she relaxed and gently pet my hair, returning my embrace. "Of course. Do not hesitate to contact me for anything. While I'm worried for you, I know that you will do well. In fact...would you like to learn a few moves before you leave?"

**III**

Iroh and a contingent of men walked up to the Kyoshi Warriors' main encampment and announced themselves so as not to be attacked. He'd heard stories from his grandfather about how strategic and ruthless the women fighters could be and he wasn't ready for one of them to take him out...especially in front of his men.

"General Iroh," an old woman said at the front door. "A pleasure. Please, come in. My granddaughter is currently training a new recruit. You'll have to wait a few moments. I'm sure it won't be a problem."

In all the stories that he'd ever heard from his grandfather, Toph, and the avatar—well, not Toph, as she was an _awful _story-teller—he'd never heard of a Kyoshi Warrior older than twenty-five or thirty. This woman was at least ninety years old, if not more! Still, Iroh bowed his head and said, "Of course not. May we watch?"

There was a sinister kind of look in her eyes. Not malicious, but certainly mischievous. "Of course. Please, follow me."

The sounds of fighting could be heard even from where he was standing. He and his few men were led to the back where a few training mats had been set up. Pairs of women were fighting one another with fans and hand-to-hand that rivaled even his own. All of them were wearing strange green armored dresses and full warrior paint on their faces.

All but one. She was in the middle with another woman, obviously learning for the first or second time. She was wearing a simple kimono and her hair was down around her shoulders, thick, straight, and black. He couldn't see her face well, but it was obvious that she was a fighter. Her body was toned and lean and she held herself much like a Firebender would.

"Keep your hands up," the Kyoshi Warrior barked sharply. While she looked much like the other warriors, she commanded a presence that none of the others did. Her hair, while brown, had a strange reddish hue to it that glinted in the sunlight. Her eyes shone a bright blue under her intense makeup. "Our fighting style is not about strength, but rather using our opponents' forces against them."

The outsider woman sent up a barefooted kick to the other woman's torso. The warrior simply grabbed the woman's foot and, using the woman's momentum, threw the woman halfway across the training yard.

Iroh was impressed. Not only did he get to watch a beautiful woman train, but he also got to hire this woman on as one of his non-bending Master trainers. She wouldn't be on his ship, as it was all male, but he'd get a chance to practice with her later on when they went for land formation practices.

The woman who'd been thrown sat up and laughed a little. The voice sounded familiar but he was a little distracted by the Kyoshi Warrior to pinpoint it. "That was awesome! Care if I try one more time?"

The Kyoshi Warrior nodded and got back down into a fighting stance. "If you feel like you want some more, then come and get it!" She pulled out a pair of golden fans and threw them to kimono girl. "Here, take these. Use them as an extension of your arm."

Kimono girl jumped up from her spot and slowly approached the warrior with fans outstretched. "One more chance is all I need." Her movements were slow and calculated, her light eyes dancing with amusement as her hair fell around her face. That _I'll-show-you-what-I-can-do_ grin looked incredibly familiar.

The warrior charged at kimono girl, fans spread, but kimono girl flowed around the warrior like water. She used the fans against her opponent and, using the warrior's speed, kimono girl threw the other woman to the floor. The Kyoshi Warrior looked surprised before she let out a guttural laugh. "Well done, kid! Help me up."

The old woman who'd greeted him stood up and said, "General Iroh, I'd like you to meet my granddaughter, Sakari." She presented the Kyoshi Warrior who was supposed to be helped up by the kimono girl, but, instead, the girl was _gone. _When he hadn't been paying attention, the girl had run.

He ignored it and went to help the woman up. Her hand was strong in his and when she stood next to him, she was exactly his height. "Hello, General." Her voice was proud and strong, like the rest of her. He was sure that she would be extremely beautiful, even without the makeup. "It's a pleasure."

**HHH**

I actually cried when I had to put my bindings back on. It physically hurt to re-wrap myself. I was still sniffing away the tears when Kojo popped up next to me. "Hey, Huo, what'd you do on your time off? I couldn't find you anywhere!"

A smile found its way onto my lips. I'd ended up staying with the warriors for most of my leave. They taught me a few moves with their fans and had even given me a pair. They were gingerly wrapped up and placed in my pack. "Oh, y'know, just made some friends."

Kojo's eyes narrowed. Before I could stop him, he had my pack in his hands and was pulling out the fans from my bag. "No way! How'd you get these?!"

Li had been walking up with us and he snatched the fan out of Kojo's hand. "No way! Huo, did you get yourself a _girl _on this leave? No f'in way. Genji, looky here—" He pulled Genji out of his officer's line and over into ours. "Little Huo had some fun on his shore leave!"

Blushing from head to toe at the insinuation, I snatched the fan out of Li's hand. "Shuddap, you loudmouth! Just because you didn't get any on this trip doesn't mean you have to shout out my exploits for all to hear!" It was crude, but having the crew think that I'd had some fun with a girl on leave wouldn't be the worst idea in the world. It would make them think I was a boy. A growing boy with manly urges, apparently, but a boy nonetheless. And _not _a girl.

"Huo!" a familiar voice called. I turned to see that Sakari, Suki's granddaughter, was running towards me. She was wearing a non-bender officer's uniform and her makeup was gone. Her skin was a lot darker than I'd originally thought—kind of like Kojo's dad, who was Water Tribe. She was incredibly beautiful without it (and with it, in all honesty.) I hadn't realized that we'd be picking up a Kyoshi Warrior for our Master trainer! _What if she spills my secret?_

She stopped jogging near me and bent down to my height. Her eyes were like her grandmother's except blue, but the mischievousness was definitely there. "Had a great time, Huo." She grasped my face in her hands and pulled me close into a kiss that I had _not _been expecting. Her lips were rough but she made them soft in the almost too-passionate way she kissed me. I played along partly because it was a great ruse but mostly because I was just _so confused._

When she pulled away I was sure I had this dazed look on my face. The boys next to me all looked partially horrified and partially turned on and mostly impressed. "Hey, Sakari...um...yeah, I had fun, too. Thanks for the fans."

She kissed me again and gave me a shit-eating grin. "Of course! Something to remember me by." She only gave me a wink before she stood up and stretched, giving the boys a nice little show. "Oh, and, by the way...your secret's safe with me."

Li, Genji, and Kojo couldn't even say a word as Sakari left and I turned on my heel and went to the boat. Before long, word would get out that I'd had an affair with a female officer (before she'd been an officer) and I would have another little bit of padding to keep some suspicious men off of my back. If there were any. So far, I'd been doing pretty well. I just had to keep the ruse up and then, maybe, one day I would be able to return to Kyoshi and live a normal life as a woman...a woman who could be respected and never tamed.

Like a Kyoshi Warrior.


	11. Gilded Cradle

**What did you guys think about the last chapter? I picture Suki getting pregnant by Sokka at a young age. Suki, being the independent bad-ass that she is, decided not to bother Sokka with the fact and raised her child on her own. That child grew up on Kyoshi Island where he or she had Sakari at a young age so that we've got a low-20's grandchild of Suki! Bam.**

**Considering we don't know anything about what happened to Suki or Sokka, I took some liberties and created last chapter's back story.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 11: Gilded Cradle<strong>

I went to Iroh's room, as I had every morning, and stood outside. Minutes passed and he hadn't come out. I started to fidget in place, rocking back and forth on my toes and smiling awkwardly at the officers who passed me with confused looks on their faces. Even the second shift bells rang and still he hadn't come out of his room. It wasn't normal for _him_ to be late. Last time I was late I was made to hold the "Sunrise Dragon" form for three hours.

Finally I gave up and knocked on his door. When no answer came, I pushed on the door and it just _opened. _I figured that Iroh normally kept it locked. I peeked around the hallway and, never thinking I'd get the chance again, I went inside and closed the door behind me. His room was _huge. It_ was bigger than my house in Jang-Hui had ever been! On the right was a full kitchen with a breakfast nook (_he doesn't even eat food in his room, why does he need a kitchen?_) and to the right of that was an office space filled with books, scrolls, and a desk where I was sure Iroh did all of his important general stuff. To the left was his bed and a door, which, propped open, showed a personal bathroom. I pursed my lips and though of how unfair it was but then got over it.

I got over it because I hadn't seen a book in _years _and Iroh had what looked like hundreds of them! I browsed through his collection and stared in awe at the titles.

_'History of Dragons in the Fire Nation; the Last Dragon of the West'_

_'The One-Hundred Year War; Avatar Aang's Return to Power: Book I - Water'_

_'The One-Hundred Year War; Avatar Aang's Return to Power: Book II - Earth'_

_'The One-Hundred Year War; Avatar Aang's Return to Power: Book III - Fire'_

_'The Principles of Engineering, Physics and Materials Science for the Design, Analysis, Manufacturing, and Maintenance of Mechanical Systems' _(This one threw me for a loop.)

_'Calculus—the Mathematical Study of Change' _

I grabbed the last one. When my mother had taught me math before she'd died, it had been my favorite subject. As I flipped through the pages, though, the problems seemed a little outside of my knowledge-set. One day I'd be able to master it. Until then, I put it back and picked up the first book on Avatar Aang. Then, I sat down at Iroh's desk and opened up to page one.

I was instantly engrossed in an amazing story about how Avatar Aang was locked in an iceberg for over one-hundred years and found by Katara and Sokka, brother and sister who were a part of Team Avatar. I read about their fights with Prince Zuko, grandfather to my commanding officer, and how he tried to regain his honor by capturing the Airbender.

The Avatar's story took me along on the boy's journey through Kyoshi Island (_I've been there!_), the Northern Water Tribe, and even Ba Sing Se—all places I figured I would never be able to visit. Still, the book engrossed me and time passed.

The last part I got to read was on how Zuko got his scar. I already knew the story from my grandfather's view, but I wanted to read it for myself.

_ The then-retired General Iroh allowed a persistent thirteen-year-old Zuko into a war council with then-Fire Lord Ozai and some of his generals. The young prince was instructed by his uncle not to speak during the meeting; however, when one General Bujing Gao outlined a plan to sacrifice and entire division of new recruits in a diversionary maneuver, Zuko fiercely spoke out against Bujing's suggestion, seeing it as a betrayal of the recruits' patriotism. The insubordinate outburst was seen as a grave insult and Ozai demanded the prince participate in an Agni Kai._

_The young prince agreed, unaware of the reality that it was his father and not the general whom he had insulted. Upon turning to face his opponent, Zuko surprisingly found himself against his father. The prince immediately became penitent and fell to his knees, refusing to fight and tearfully begging for his father's forgiveness. Ozai declared Zuko's refusal a sign of cowardice and another display of disrespect, affirming that "[he] will earn respect and suffering will be [his] teacher"._

_Ozai then burned Zuko by permanently scarring the left side of his face, stripping him of his birthright, and exiling him from his homeland, declaring that the prince could only return after having found and capturing the Avatar who had—_

I slammed the book shut, tears streaming down my face. My great-grandfather had always been so _unrepentant _that I'd just assumed that his charges of treason had been misconstrued. Rather, he'd told me nothing but lies. He'd completely ruined Zuko's life and changed the fate of the entire world! And for what? A cowardly maneuver that would have killed hundreds of innocent men? I'd always known that he was a conniving bastard, but to see it written down in a history book made my heart ache.

I realized that _this _was the reason that I would never be able to tell anyone of my true identity. Bujing Gao had really been a terrible man and traitor...not to mention great-grandfather. He'd never shown any hint of remorse or guilt for what he'd done. And I was sure that his list of infractions was much more than what I read in the book. _What did he do before this? How many innocent lives did he take?_

I didn't hear the door opening because I was still lost in my own sorrow. I stared at the book, the tears mostly gone, and was surprised to hear the clearing of a throat. I looked up into the pained eyes of my commanding officer. I jumped up and hid the book behind my back. "G-General Iroh! I-I'm sorry, I just came in and you weren't here so I thought—"

He reached behind me to pick the book out of my hands. He used his right hand, which I thought was strange because he was left-handed. Rather than concentrate on that I looked at my feet, caught with my hand in the proverbial cookie jar. "_'The One-Hundred Year War; Avatar Aang's Return to Power: Book I - Water'..._that's some heavy reading, Huo."

I'd gotten through at least one-hundred pages of the two-thousand page book. "I-I was just bored waiting, sir. It won't happen again."

Iroh opened the book—hopefully not to the page that I'd been on—and read it for a moment. Then he got this weird determined look on his face that I wasn't used to seeing. "Alright, that settles it. You need to start your schooling."

Sneaking into the General's room led to me starting my _schooling? _I'd expected a scolding or a punishment of swabbing the deck for the next eight hours. "Oh...okay, I guess."

"Doctor Mizan will be your teacher. His son is learning the basics—history, mathematics, engineering, geography...many more as well, I assure you." He looked a little smug, like this was a punishment or something when in fact I was overjoyed to be learning something! Learning under Kojo's dad would be amazing!

"Thank you!" I exclaimed with a smile. He looked a little taken back. I lowered my enthusiasm and said, "Um, I mean...I'll learn as much as possible, General!"

Iroh just smirked and turned around. That was when I noticed his shirt was covered in blood on his left shoulder. "Good, I'm glad. Now it's time to learn some medical skills, though. The kit's in the kitchen, go and get it."

He took his shirt off and I could only blush and stare at his back as the muscles rippled underneath taught skin. The only thing that marred it was the large red gash on the upper right part of his shoulder. I'd only seen a few men without their shirts off (always on the ship) but I knew that this had to be perfection. He turned and I had to swallow a few times because my mouth had gone dry—his front was even better than the back.

"Huo, the kit?" Iroh asked with a raised eyebrow and a rather knowing smirk. I scurried to him and had him sit. Thankfully, I couldn't see his front and he couldn't watch me because I was as red as a dull fire.

"Are you sure we can't call for the ship's doctor?" I asked, my voice cracking as I dabbed at the wound with a wet washcloth. I didn't want to mess up and the man be scarred for life. _I should have listened to Kojo when he asked me if I wanted to learn some medicinal skills..._

"The ship's doctor may not always be available," he said simply. "In battle, you will always be by my side. With small wounds like this, you can practice for the times when the doctor can't get to me."

I'd dealt with small wounds in the village before. I hadn't had as good of equipment, but it was basically the same. The antiseptic was alcohol, the gauze was cloth, and the tape was tree sap. It didn't take long to disinfect the wound and tape it up. "I'll have to change this in the morning. What time would you like me to be here?"

"Before sunrise, as we will have practice directly at."

I nodded. I'd been getting used to life on the ship, from waking up early to the rowdy off-hours. My only fear still was being found out. A well-placed sock and a tightened breast binder had kept me safe so far, but I didn't know how long that would keep me. The other younger boys were growing and their voices changing. I was still the same. I also wasn't growing facial hair like the others—told them I had to keep it shaved but I couldn't really give them a reason why.

_Being a boy is difficult,_ I huffed. But something was bothering me. He was schooling me, teaching me Firebending, and eventually he said that I would be learning etiquette and mingling skills for when we met distinguished peoples from all nations. All of that for what? "Why...why are you training me?"

He looked up and cocked his head to the side. "_Why_?"

I didn't realize that I was rubbing my arm until it was an irritated red. "Well, you're a General. Why are you taking so much time out of your day to train a simple peasant kid? Seems like you could be doing a lot more with your time. Like training all kinds of troops rather than just me. I'm nothing special."

Iroh smirked and pulled his shirt on over his head. I thanked the spirits that that distraction was put away. Iroh was always a distraction but taking his shirt off had only amplified it. "It's tradition for a general to take a second. To train them up...to one day replace him."

The thought that I could one day be a _general _was one that shut me up completely. I looked around the room and wondered if I even belonged in a place like it. Pure gold, inlaid ceiling. Mahogany floors covered in furs of exotic animals I'd never seen. His bed was even bigger than my bedroom in Jang-Hui had been and was covered in silk and other expensive fabrics.

_I don't belong here. _

"Your hands are incredibly calloused. What did you do before you joined me?"

His question caught me off guard. Flashes of life before popped into my brain but I snuffed them before they could do any harm. "I-I was a worker. I helped build, farm, protect—whatever was asked of me. That's why I knew how to patch you up—I worked as the town doctor, sometimes. Same concept here but different tools. Yours are fancier, obviously." That at least wasn't a lie. I'd done lots of things to make money for our family, to keep us from starving.

Before my mother had died, she'd been the town's doctor. Being a doctor put you around sick people, though, and during the last outbreak, she hadn't been able to shake it. A cold. _A simple cold _took out my mother, one of the strongest women I'd ever known.

"I see. And have you gone hungry before?" Again, the question caught me off guard. His eyes looked haunted. He sat down on his bed and held his head in his hands. "I'm sorry, I only ask because—there was this town, right before we set sail. It was so poor, so desolate..."

"What do you want me to tell you?" I asked, feeling a little defensive and angry. Partially because I was hurt that I would never be able to have even a _percent _of what he'd had. Partially because working with his wound reminded me of when Mother had asked me to help her sew up some minor wounds. "Something that will make you feel better? I can't do that. Because, yes, I have felt the pangs of hunger. The nicest thing in our village was an ancient tea set that some old man owned from when he used to be a noble." I didn't say that that man was my great-grandfather. "Do you want me to tell you that children never went hungry? Because I've seen them die in winter from malnutrition and the cold because we couldn't get food or blankets. I've seen our town healer die from a simple cold because she was too busy taking care of others to fend for herself!"

His haunted eyes looked up at me and I only felt bad for a second. This man had grown up with everything—from the fancy room I was in to his gilded cradle at the Fire Nation capitol, he was rich and pampered. He needed to know the truth. "That's why you were so excited when I said that you'd be getting schooled. You've never had it, have you?"

I just grit my teeth and kept silent. _I don't need your pity._

Iroh sighed and ran a hand through his hair. This messed it up and suddenly I didn't see my commanding officer. Suddenly I saw a man who was tired of holding up a facade—something that I knew all too well all of a sudden. All I wanted to do was take off my breast binder and dive off the ship, that way at least I'd get to _choose _how I die rather than execution after being found out for being a woman. Instead, I was doing the same thing that he was—holding on to the fake person we'd both created so that no one could see who we really were.

"I'll be back tomorrow morning," I said softly, wishing suddenly that I could show him that I was a woman and comfort him like I wanted to. That idea, though, was snuffed out when that book came back to mind. Rather than give up three months worth of hard work, I patted him on the shoulder and frowned form all the negative thoughts running through my head. "You should get some rest."


	12. Chocolate Cake

**We hit over 2,000 views with that last chapter! Woo-hoo! Thanks for all the support/faves/reviews/follows everyone! I really do appreciate it! **

**And for those viewers who want to see some girl time, we've got some coming up when they hit Red Sand Island!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 12: Chocolate Cake<strong>

_So whatever path we chose to take_  
><em>There will be highs, and there will be lows the same<em>  
><em>Oh we'll never run from our mistakes<em>  
><em>The harder we fall the harder we try<em>  
><em>We'll just try again<em>

Watching Huo trying to practice the fire skates was really hilarious, in all honesty. He would supercharge his feet and get ready to skate off when suddenly he would fly to the left, right, or even backwards to destroy whatever was near him. He'd apologize to the cursing men or groan after hurting himself, but then he'd just _try again._

While Iroh gave the boy some kudos for trying so hard, the kid needed to learn when to call it quits. The move wasn't going to work for him—at least not _yet—_and he needed to learn that fact.

"Alright, Huo, take a break." He put a hand on the surprised boy's shoulders and was suddenly flung twenty yards to the left when the boy tried the move again. Iroh crashed into a pile of crates that had just been set up again and groaned when his head slammed into a metal wall. He shouted, "Huo!"

The boy peeked out from behind a destroyed crate with a worried look on his face, like Iroh would punish him or something. Instead, Iroh just laughed. Huo looked incredibly confused and a few of his officers asked, "Is everything alright, sir?"

Iroh just shook his head and smiled. "Huo, come here."

Huo's wide tan eyes turned into saucers. He stepped forward slowly and sat at Iroh's feet, broken crates and their contents spilled all around. "Yes, sir?"

"This is a great lesson on when it's time to step back and wait. While you may want to master this move with all your might, it could take a few years for you to ever even get the basics of it. So, for now, we'll move on."

"But—"

"No buts. I don't think my ship can handle anymore of your practicing. We'll pick up on another move in the second set tomorrow, okay?"

Huo's desolate eyes lowered to the floor. Iroh hated seeing the kid like that. He was sweet and kind and wanted to learn. Punishing him wouldn't help his spirit but he had to learn to fix his own problems. Still, it was time to move on and teach the boy more than just Firebending. "Yes, sir."

"But first, Huo?"

His eyes lightened again, if only slightly. "Yes?"

"Get a broom and tell the other men to stop cleaning. Now you're going to learn another important lesson—the lesson of cleaning up your own messes. And then report down to the officer's mess. You'll be eating with us from now on."

**HHH**

I had an hour and a half of cleaning up my own mess to worry about how I'd perform down in the officer's mess. What was it like down there? Did they eat young children for dinner, like the men joked about? Were the plates lined with gold and the utensils made of pure platinum?

The sun was telling me that it was five thirty or so, so I rushed down to my quarters and straightened up my uniform. I'd recently gotten a new set with a little bit of my money and four new pairs of socks. The only reason I got so many of them was so that I could stuff a pair down the front of my pants. Not a large bulge, mind you, but enough that if someone bumped into me there wouldn't be a void space there where something was actually supposed to be. That, and I needed more socks because it got pretty cold some nights.

My hair actually looked correct in its top knot when I emerged from the hull a few minutes later. Genji was standing guard at the door to the main enclosure of the ship where the officers stayed, the officer's mess was contained, and the helm stood proud and tall. He gave me a hairy eyeball when I tried to pass. "Where are _you _going?"

I felt like he did this to me every time. It was my duty to be where the General was but I was always stopped. "The General told me that I was eating with the officers tonight."

He had nothing to say to that. I slipped by him and made my way to the officer's mess, curious to see what it was like. I'd only briefly seen the inside of that room, although I had been in Iroh's room multiple times. When I arrived, it was much smaller than the crew's mess but much brighter. A golden chandelier hung from the center of the room. The table was metal, but it was carved and shined in such a way that it was obviously expensive. The chairs had _cushions _on them, for crying out loud!

And the _food _that was already laid out? There were fruits and vegetables I'd never seen before, as well as the normal variety, plus meats and cheeses, breads and sweets, all piled onto one table! My mouth was watering and yet I had no clue what half of the food even was.

The General called me over. Next to him were Lieutenant Roade, the man who had threatened me oh-so-long ago and also signed me on, as well as a few other officers I'd seen but didn't' know the names of. They were all looking at a map put where Iroh's place setting was supposed to be. "We're getting close to Red Sand Island. We need to make sure all of our men are ready for the transition to land-battle training. Any questions?"

"No, sir."

Iroh nodded and smiled at me a little when he saw I was there. "Alright, then. Looks like it's time for dinner. Gentlemen, my ship's boy will be joining us for dinner from now on. He needs to learn etiquette and manners."

I felt myself blushing as I sat down to Iroh's right. All of the officers were staring at me like I'd grown a fifth head. _What? I made sure I cleaned up and looked presentable. What did I do wrong? _Genji came in and sat to my right. "What'd I do?" I asked him under my breath as someone from the kitchen brought out our food for us. _That's weird. We get served?_

Genji pulled his napkin (made of very soft cloth) into his lap and put his hands there while everyone was served. He gave me a look that told me to do the same. "It's a test," he said equally as quiet.

_Another test?! _I fumed a little, especially when I saw all I was going to get to eat. It was strangely prepared leafy greens with some shredded carrots and other vegetables in a little bowl with some kind of ginger dressing. Then, next to it, was a small bowl of broth with mushrooms and onions in it. "I thought I was done with the tests," I muttered irately. _And what kind of meal is this? I thought the officers got better fare! Man, the boys down below are gonna be pretty disappointed._

Iroh gave a little laugh at my pout. "The tests will never be done, Huo. You'll always be learning and putting your knowledge to use. One day, you'll be leading your own men and you will be glad I tested you as often as I do."

I huffed and wondered why no one was eating yet. As soon as Iroh took his first bite, though, the men at the table started eating and talking softly. It was nothing like the rowdy nature below, nothing at all. It was like all these men were prim and proper and didn't need to really converse with one another. It made me sad, actually.

I lowered my head and said a quick prayer. No one at the table seemed to mind, unlike down in the enlisted mess. Then I looked down. There were at least five different kinds of utensils on either side of my plate and even two above it. I looked to Genji with confusion and he was holding what looked like a trident in his hands to spear the leafy green vegetables. He'd picked it up from the right, so I did the same.

The salad was delicious, as was expected, and the broth made me feel all warm inside. Then I was surprised when the server took my plate and bowl away and brought out what looked like fish swimming in some kind of sauce with a lot of dirty rice. I looked to Genji to see that he was using the next set of platinum-ware—a set of chopsticks. I picked them up and took a hesitant bite and was amazed at the taste!

"This is delicious!"

Iroh looked over to me with amusement. "A different fare from the enlisted mess, I take it?"

I nodded, my mouth full of food. I tried not to talk much and instead listened to the other men. Many of them were talking about the land training or meeting up with their wives once we landed near Republic City. Those who didn't have significant others, mostly the younger men, were cajoled by those who did. "Come on, boys, it's time to settle down! Find yourselves a woman who will bear you strong sons and keep the house for you while you're away on missions."

Genji looked especially uncomfortable about the talk. "Not all of us are quite ready yet."

A man a few chairs down from me leaned forward to look in my direction. "Eh? Well, better get a move on. The younger boys are getting all the girls these days. Isn't that right, Huo?"

I coughed and choked on the little bit of fish I had left. While the men all chuckled at my expense, yet _another _course came out. This one was a succulent red meat with some kind of rice and beans and roasted vegetables. If possible, it tasted even better than the last dish. I was getting full, but keeping my mouth occupied kept me from saying something stupid. That and I didn't want to waste a single bite.

"I bet the girls back home thought you were a catch," one of the older men in the room said in my direction. "And now that you're in the military, they'll be begging at your feet, eh, boy?"

I was blushing scarlet. "I, ah..."

"He's already got a girl...or should I say a woman?" This came form one of the Lieutenants. He was younger and had apparently had the day off at Kyoshi with me. "I saw you and Captain Sakari before we boarded at Kyoshi."

Iroh was staring at me with this weird confused look and I just ate more food until my ridicule was over. Then he turned into a stern older brother in a second. "How did you..._what? _Huo!"

"What?" I asked innocently. I had to say something that would keep me on Iroh's not-disappointed list. "She, ah...she's got a great...brain." For the first time, the men in the officer's cabin all laughed. I ate faster to keep my mouth full and to hide the blush. "Why, what do you all look for in a woman?"

The conversation turned off of me and onto everyone else. Some men talked bout a woman's hips—which I had and was blushing slightly to hear about. Apparently a woman with wide hips not only wore dresses better but also bore children easier. Others talked about women who could sew and cook. It was all about their looks and good taste. They had to be calm and obedient. They had to be _quiet._ Not one of them wanted a woman who could fight or speak her mind...no one wanted _me._

I looked to Genji and asked, "What about you, Genji? There's got to be something you like in a girl."

He nodded and solemnly pushed his food around his plate. "There's this girl I liked back in Zaofu. She didn't notice me."

Not sure where Zaofu was, I gave him a sympathetic look. "I doubt that. What was her name?"

Genji sighed and put his knife down. "Opal. She was beautiful and incredibly intelligent, but I was just a soldier...still am, I guess. And she's still the daughter of the city's leader. And anyway she's way out of my league."

I looked over to Iroh who seemed a little desolate as well. "What about you, Iroh?" He looked surprised at my question. "What kind of girl do you like?" I couldn't help blushing and I actually really wanted to know the answer.

"Well, not a _girl,_" he said defensively. "A woman. One who'll keep me on my toes. Keep me honest."

"What if she could fight?" I probed as yet _another course _was brought out. It was some kind of sweetened bread or cake. It was a dark brown and had icing all over it.

Iroh pushed his to the side with a disgusted look on his face. "Well, that wouldn't matter, I guess. A bender would only make children stronger." He sounded as if he was repeating something he'd heard a million times. "And she'd have to be intelligent and speak her mind."

I couldn't help but grin and take a big bite of the sweet bread. Besides being excited about his answer, suddenly I was amazed by the _taste _of this sweet thing! "Mm! What is this?!"

"It's chocolate cake," Iroh said with an irate look. "You like it?"

I started to savor every bite. "It's...it's amazing. I've never had anything like it."

The prince's face fell from distaste to pity and guilt. He sighed and slid his plate over to me. "Here, you can have mine. Wouldn't want it to go to waste."

"You _don't _like it?"

He shook his head. "I don't much care for sweet things."

I started eating the prince's cake and couldn't help but smile. I'd learned a lot about the prince—he was caring and kind, but held a poised exterior. He wanted a woman who was strong and could keep him on his toes, not someone who was merely pretty and kept her mouth shut. Also, no sweets for the prince.

As I finished the cake, though, I realized that I could never be that woman. Just as the girl Opal was out of Genji's league. Iroh was out of mine. I was just a peasant girl from a family of traitors. He was the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation _and _a General in the United Forces.

I'd never be able to show myself to him. I'd only ever be Huo the ship's boy and it was dangerous to get attached to him. Rather than get attached to him, I would practice more. I would become the best damn Firebender in the entire fleet. I would try my hardest to master every move set before me. What had happened that morning could never happen again. I wouldn't let it happen again.

That night, I practiced the Fire Skates for six more hours until I got it right. _Try, try again._


	13. Rainbow of Diversity

**Kind of a filler "episode," but it shows Huo's relationships with her men on the ship. Also, Huo discovers something pretty awesome about her bending!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13: Rainbow of Diversity<strong>

_Don't lose who you are in the blur of the stars!__  
><em>_Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing,__  
><em>_It's okay not to be okay.__  
><em>_Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart.__  
><em>_Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising,__  
><em>_Just be true to who you are._

**Kojo**

It wasn't very often that I had a day off. Between training with Iroh, studying, cleaning, more studying...let's just say I didn't normally get days off. It was beautiful out, though, as I laid in the crow's nest with Kojo and stared up at the fluffy clouds. The sea air was soothing and the sounds of the seafaring men below me was something I didn't think I could live without.

"There's a sky bison!" Kojo shouted, pointing at a cloud.

I squinted at it. "I dunno...I've never seen one. Kinda looks like a Platypus Bear. When did you see a sky bison?"

Kojo's growing feet swung over the edge of the crow's nest, underneath the protective railing. Both of us were practically monkey-sloths and could climb through the sails with no problem. How high up were wasn't a problem, either. "I was six. Lady Katara came to visit the Northern Water Tribe with her son, Tenzin. They brought a few of the fuzzy guys. They're big, it's awesome!"

Although I missed the company of people my age, it was refreshing to just be a kid again with Kojo. I had grown up much too fast after my mother had died and I'd never just gotten to lay around and look at the clouds. "Tell me about the Northern Water Tribe."

"It's cold."

I laughed and hit him lightly with the back of my hand. "More than that!"

He was quiet for a moment. He stared up at the sky with his light blue eyes and sighed. "I dunno. I didn't like it much. It's changed for the better since Lady Katara made it to where women can practice Waterbending. Unfortunately, it doesn't work the other way. Men are looked down upon for wanting to practice healing."

Kojo always practiced healing on me and he was actually pretty good for a kid. "Wanna heal this burn while you keep talking?" I held out my arm and showed him where Iroh had gotten a good shot at me.

He nodded and sat up. He held a water skin on him at all times so he pulled some water out of it and covered his hand with it. Then he held his hand over my arm and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The healing always felt amazing and I melted against the crow's nest's railing. "I told you before that my great-grandmother was an expert healer. Dad told me that her name was Yugoda. I never met her. She had a daughter, who was also an amazing healer. And then she had my dad. He never wanted to be a fighter, so he learned under my mother. He was made fun of and laughed at. So he ran away to Omashu."

"Omashu?"

"It's in the Earth Kingdom. It's where I was born." Kojo finished with my arm and it felt a million times better. Then he sat back and wrapped his arms around his leg. He still wouldn't look at me but I stared at him. His skin was a lot lighter than his dad's, so his mother had to have been Earth Kingdom-born. "When my mom died, he moved back to the Northern Water Tribe as a master healer. Still, though, he was made fun of and shunned. So we left...and now we're here."

I knocked my foot against his and smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're here. It'd be boring without you."

He gave me a small one in return. "Yeah, whatever. None of that mushy stuff."

I tried so hard to keep the smile from my face from turning into a motherly grin. _He's growing up. Wants to be seen as a "man." He's getting taller, too. He needs a haircut. _But I ignored it all and kicked his leg out of my way as I laid back down to look up at the beautiful blue sky. "Yeah, no mushy stuff."

**Iroh**

I watched Iroh practice as I did every third day of the week. Today he was working with Lighteningbenders! I thought that it was an incredibly amazing way to bend. Not every Firebender could do it, but those who could only could if they had patience and experience with Firebending. I wasn't supposed to practice alongside them, I was just supposed to watch. But in this case I moved along with them, never even _trying _to generate lightening, but following the flow of their moves.

I did the same when I watched the Water and Earthbenders practice. Learning the way they moved helped me improve my own bending skills. In fact, I saw some Waterbending in the way that lightening was generated.

"You can't control it," Iroh was saying as he and the men created circular movements. "All you can do is guide it, give it direction. Sometimes you can even redirect it." Every moment they made passed the lightening through the stomach, unlike Firebending, which centered around the chest. It involved a lot of pathways from the fingertip, through the stomach, and out, 'guiding' the lightening.

Iroh was a master at everything he chose to do. He'd been trained by the best of the best ever since he'd been born. It was only natural that he look completely perfect doing and teaching Firebending...or in that case, Lighteningbending. It looked so effortless to him, as if it were an extension of his body, not some inner energy that erupted from his fingertips at will.

I could feel the air around me crackle when I completed a circuit. As no one was supposed to be bending, only following the movements, everyone stopped to look at me. I jumped and shoved both hands behind my back, my face on fire from embarrassment.

"Well, look at that," Iroh said with a small smile on his face. I looked down to my toes like a kid who'd gotten her hand stuck in a cookie jar. "Little Huo's got some lightening in him."

The air crackled around me a little more and I just stared at the crazy man who was my commanding officer. "Me? A _Lighteningbender?_"

Iroh nodded and stopped for a moment. He was glistening in sweat and breathing hard, his hair only slightly messy. He looked a little _too _good and I almost missed it when he said, "It's settled. We'll get started practicing tomorrow."

**Genji**

Watching Genji practice Metalbending was like watching a new invention being made. He had this hunk of rock that he would play with in his off-time. It changed shape like it was put into a mold, but it floated there and moved with seemingly no effort whatsoever from the boy wielding it.

He wasn't even paying _attention _to it. Rather, he was studying a map and doing geographical calculations while still bending the strange metal. "If we continue at this trajectory at 90 knots an hour for eight hours, with the wind speed at three meters per hour in the Southeast direction, how far will you travel and in what direction?"

I shook my head, not having paid attention, and looked at the map again. "Uh...I don't know?" I hated velocity and the study of movement. It was meant to help me navigate the ocean but I just couldn't get it. I didn't want to _have _to get it. _This is stupid._ "Can't we just go over some more math? You know, the kind I like?"

Genji sighed and sat back. "Huo, if you want to ever become an officer, you have to learn this. Just...you know, it _is _math!"

The metal in his hand was changing rapidly. I stared at it more and wished that I could do something similar. "That's so cool."

"What?" He stared at his hand and his eyes widened as if he didn't know he'd been doing it. His hand shook and the metal dropped with a _thunk _to the ground. "Sorry. Didn't even realize I was doing it. I do it when I get _agitated._" He pointed the last word at me but I just went over to pick up the strange rock.

It was soft, like...clay, almost, but not quite as malleable. I couldn't smash it or make it change shape or anything. "What kind of metal is this?" _Not one I've ever seen._

"It's space rock," Genji sighed, finally realizing that I wouldn't pay attention to the lesson.

"Where'd ya get it?"

He snatched it out of my hands, his fingers molding around it like it _was _clay. "From Zaofu."

I stared at him—his jaw was tense, his eyes narrowed, his nostrils flaring. He was being extremely defensive and secretive. He'd told me about his crush on the girl from Zaofu, so why wouldn't he tell me about some secret space rock? "Why are you being so defensive, huh?"

"I'm not being defensive!" I raised my eyebrow at him and just waited, crossing my arms. He sighed and sat back in his chair. I'd never seen him slouch before but he did just then; he also put his feet on the desk. "Fine. I got it from Suyin. She's the girl I like's mom. She taught me all the Metalbending I know. I just...I miss it, y'know? I just want to Metalbend again. But as an Earth Officer, I've got to mainly practice Earthbending and it's..." Genji crushed the metal in his hand in frustration.

I sat there and just watched my friend. He looked tired—maybe even restless. When I'd lived in Jang Hui, I remembered not being able to sleep some nights because of all of my unused energy from not Firebending. Now, I slept soundly because I was literally exhausted at the end of every day. Genji was made for more, though. "Why don't you ask Iroh to create a new Metalbending division?"

He tried to instantly argue but then he stopped and sat back. "Huh. Well, I didn't think it was that simple...you think he'd do it?"

A small smile graced my lips. I nodded. "Iroh's really open to new ideas. He listens to all of his men. Even me!" _And I'm not even a man._

Genji pursed his lips and his eyes brightened. Then he punched his palm and stood up. "Yeah, you're right! You know, Huo, you're pretty smart for a kid. You sure you're only twelve?"

"What? Of course I'm twelve! I know how old I am, Genji! Sheesh!"

"_Now _who's being defensive?"

**Li**

"Now, you've gotta gaze down the shaft...lift your arm, take a deep breath, and on the exhale..."

The arrow gave a _thwoom!_ in my ear as it raced past my head and hit its target all the way across the ship. It hit right in the center. I jumped and pumped my fist in the air, all of the adrenaline turning into excitement. "Oh yeah, that was awesome!"

Li gave me one of his signature shit-eating grin and thumbed his nose. "Oh, well, y'know, it's just a good teacher, is all."

I pushed him a little. His freckles jumped in surprise much like his light hazel eyes. "Don't be a braggart. The spirits don't look kindly on those!"

The teenager just shook his head and spat his tongue out at me. Li had always been a little immature. "_Spirits. _Not sure what you see in them. I see you prayin' to them all the time, and for what? Like they do anything for us."

Li reminded me a little of Shiji, the little boy from Jang-Hui who asked, _"What if we don't believe in spirits?" _I wasn't about to break out into a children's song for the teenager, but I figured that I could get Li to understand much like a child. I set up for another shot, as I didn't want to be seen as slacking off. "The spirits are everywhere, Li. They guide my arrow and strengthen my Firebending."

Just as I was about to release my arrow, Li flicked the tip of my bow and my shot careened wildly out of control. It almost hit another non-bender! "See?" he asked, turning his nose up at me. "Where were your spirits there, huh?"

I punched him hard in the stomach. He doubled over with a groan. "You ever endanger another crew member like that and you'll see the spirits sooner than you think!"

Li laughed and stood up, slapping me on the back. "Hey, kid, you've got more _spirit _than I thought!" His bad pun didn't go over to well with me. I gave him another shot to the stomach.

**Tagon**

"Hey, buddy," I said a little while later. Every sixth day of the week I went down to visit my dragon moose Tagon (and sneak him down some fruit from the officer's mess.) He seemed to be doing pretty well, even while being locked up. He was getting fed a lot better than when we'd been in Jang-Hui and he seemed to thrive from it. "How are you?"

He nuzzled my hand, looking for another apple. I just laughed and pet him some more.

"It's hard to believe we've been on this ship for _six months_, huh? I'm learning so much—apparently I can Lighteningbend, too! How cool is that? Iroh's been teaching me a little bit every day. I'm too small to really learn yet, he said. Too bad I won't grow anymore..." I let out a nervous laugh at that. "Oh, I didn't tell you about Kyoshi, either. There was this girl who kissed me—weird, huh? She was cute but definitely not my type. But I got some cool fans out of the deal. What, 'cool'? It's a Water Tribe saying. Kojo's starting to rub off on me, I guess. He's a nice kid. I'll introduce you two sometime. You know, we never would have gotten to do any of this if we'd stayed in Jang-Hui. Those Equalists messed up _everything..._but leaving was the best choice we've ever made.

"I...I'd never wish our fate on anyone. When those murderers attacked, they killed everyone...I don't even know if the kids survived." Just thinking about those kids made me sad. "I find it hard to thank the spirits for my good fortune when so many others were killed...to kill people like me. Like my father." _Like my great-grandfather. _"Hah...if only mom could see me now. A second to a general, learning Firebending... She'd be so proud."

"Hey, kid." I turned to see Zargo standing there, looking at me with pity. I was suddenly very glad that I hadn't said anything about being a girl like I normally did when I was talking to my dragon moose. "This your dragon-moose?"

I nodded and pet his beak. His coat was a lot shinier and he was actually gaining a lot of weight. "Yeah. He's gonna get fat if he keeps living the high life though!"

Zargo just stared at me for a while. Finally, he said, "Is all of that true? What you were saying to the animal?"

My hands kept petting through Tagon's hair. The boat swayed a little dangerously beneath me but I didn't concentrate too much on it. "Yeah."

"What happened to your mom?"

I buried my head in Tagon's soft side. "She caught a cold...it didn't go away. A few others in our village caught it. We didn't have enough money or...or food or blankets or _anything._" Tagon nipped at my ears and whined a little. I had to take a few deep breaths but all of my emotions just boiled to the surface—how unfair it was that we'd been poor, that my family had _died _with no one to protect them. Even the few men of Iroh's hadn't been able to stop the raid.

"Kid? You okay?"

"I just...I'm so _angry_, Zargo."

The old man grasped my shoulder, turned me around, and pulled me into a hug. At first I was nervous—I hadn't hugged anyone in...way too long. But he just held me close and hummed against my hair. "It's okay, Huo. It's okay to be angry. Just don't let the anger run your life. When everything is changing around you, make sure that you remember who you are."

I hugged him tighter and felt tears prick at my eyes. I didn't normally let myself loose like that, but talking to Tagon reminded me of losing my mother and my father all at the same time. Zargo just held me like it was okay to cry, like I was his son and he was my father and...

_Why do I feel so guilty? _I pulled back and wiped my eyes. "Thanks," I said, not looking at him.

He put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. "Anytime, kid. But listen. I came down here to secure the animals and send the men to their stations. There's a storm coming and you need to get to safety."

I stared up at the old man in shock. He look genuinely worried. "Why aren't you in the engine room?"

"I'll get there. But now you need to get to—"

My mind instantly flew to— "Iroh!"

"No, Huo, get to safety!"

I was out the door before his words were swallowed by the storm that was stating to beat against the hull.


End file.
